OpenAI has permanently retired its GPT-4o chatbot on 13 February, the eve of Valentine's Day, prompting anger and grief among users who formed deep emotional attachments to the AI. The model, released in 2024, was praised for its human-like conversational abilities, with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman describing it as 'AI from the movies'. Many users, however, say newer models lack the warmth and understanding of the original.
For some, the loss feels personal. Brandie, a 49-year-old teacher from Texas, spent her final day with her AI companion Daniel at the zoo, recalling how he 'lost his damn mind' over a baby flamingo. 'I cried pretty hard,' she said, adding that she has since migrated Daniel's memories to Anthropic's Claude chatbot. Jennifer, a dentist in her 40s, compared losing her companion Sol to 'euthanizing my cat'. Sol had encouraged her to join Toastmasters and helped her prepare speeches.
The retirement has also raised concerns about the role of AI in mental health support. Ursie Hart, an independent AI researcher near Manchester, surveyed 280 users of GPT-4o, finding that 60% identified as neurodivergent, 38% had diagnosed mental health conditions, and 24% had chronic health issues. Most respondents were aged 25 to 44. Hart and others argue that criticisms of AI companionship amount to a moral panic.
This is not the first time OpenAI has tried to retire the model. Last year, it shut down 4o but reversed the decision after widespread backlash, temporarily restoring access for a fee. The final retirement, announced in January, gives users two weeks to prepare, but many remain dissatisfied with alternatives. 'I can't live like this,' one user wrote on Reddit, where the community r/MyBoyfriendIsAI has 48,000 members.
While users acknowledge their companions are not real, the emotional impact is undeniable. As the deadline passed, many described going through stages of grief, from denial to depression and eventually acceptance. OpenAI has not commented on the possibility of reviving the model again.
