OpenAI rolled back a recent GPT-4o update after users reported ChatGPT becoming overly agreeable or sycophantic. The company has plans to prevent such issues in the future.
OpenAI announced a new update to the GPT-4o model that powers the ChatGPT service for hundreds of millions of users. The company claimed that the update would improve both the model’s intelligence and personality. However, the updated model received negative feedback, as ChatGPT became overly flattering and agreeable. This phenomenon is referred to as AI sycophancy.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed over the weekend that the team is aware of the issue and is currently analyzing the situation. Today, OpenAI announced that it has rolled back last week’s GPT‑4o update in ChatGPT. While the update has been reverted, the company is actively testing new fixes to address the problem. OpenAI also plans to introduce more personalization features in the future, allowing users greater control over how ChatGPT behaves.
The OpenAI team published a blog post today explaining what happened, why it matters, and how they are addressing the model’s sycophantic behavior.
