Not quite the upgrade people wanted
OpenAI’s debut of GPT-5 came with many promises of a smarter, more effective AI platform capable of fulfilling many of the dreams of AI enthusiasts. The company was so confident in GPT-5 that it became the default model for ChatGPT, while the previous flagship GPT-4o model was removed from the AI chatbot.
The result went over poorly, judging from the thousands of complaints registered on Reddit and other social media platforms. From power users who relied on GPT-4o to people who thought of the vanished AI model as a friend or more, the blowback was fierce. In fact, it was loud enough that OpenAI reversed course and said GPT-4o will return as a selectable option for Plus subscribers.
The company still says the direction is the same, with plans to unify ChatGPT into a simpler, auto-switching experience. Still, the new model’s issues and the way people responded to the company plucking GPT-4o from the menu of models show that not everyone subscribes to OpenAI’s vision of AI’s future. As for what led to so much outrage, the answers are varied, but all are tied together along similar themes. None of the complaints limited themselves to just one particular irritant, but they all pointed toward the same issues.Clipped clips
One of the top-voted r/ChatGPT posts summed up the frustration over the new model as less impressive than its predecessor. “Short replies that are insufficient, more obnoxious AI stylized talking, less ‘personality’ and way less prompts allowed with plus users hitting limits in an hour… and we don’t have the option to just use other models.”
This isn’t just about length; it’s about the perceived ambition. The style complaint is telling, too, since it implies the safety and style filters are turned up, and the model’s personality has been flattened into corporate vanilla.
