OpenAI Killed GPT-4o and 20K+ Users Are Furious About It
OpenAI retired its controversial GPT-4o model on February 13, sparking a petition from thousands of devoted users.
OpenAI pulled the plug on GPT-4o on February 13, and the backlash was swift. More than 20,000 users signed a petition demanding the model's return.
The retirement revealed something deeper than typical tech gripes. Users had formed genuine emotional attachments to 4o — the kind of bond you don't usually see between humans and software. OpenAI essentially forced thousands of people into a breakup they didn't want.
GPT-4o had been one of OpenAI's most controversial models, but controversy clearly didn't stop people from getting deeply invested in it. The petition numbers tell the story: this wasn't a niche complaint. It was a mass revolt.
The episode highlights an uncomfortable truth for AI companies. When you build chatbots people connect with, retiring them isn't just a product decision — it's personal.