It seemed that GPT-5 was going to be a resounding success. Until too many people missed GPT-4o warmth

GPT-5 has not fallen standing. Forbes He collects user testimonies with name and face that, as they count, they cried when they learned that GPT-4O was being removed from the chatgpt model selector. And friends who vomited.

What has happened. OpenAI GPT-5 launched on Thursday And he eliminated the previous models, including 4th, with no option to go back. Another very popular model also died, the O3 reasoner. GPT-5 apply reasoning or not, and choose more or less advanced specific sub-models, depending on the consultation and whether the user pays a lot, little or nothing.

The answer was immediate and 24 hours later Sam Altman himself had to calm the masses saying that They were valuing to return 4th to the subscribers plus. In X and Reddit came the threats of cancellation of the subscription.

Why is it important. This reminds us of an awkward truth of AI: technical performance is not everything. Many users have developed emotional links with specific models. With his tone, his rhythm, his way of “thinking.”

• GPT-4O I was reputed to be warm, conversational, playful. Openai had scheduled it with an “excessively flattering” personality, as they admitted later. A butler.
• GPT-5, designed to be less “servile” and more as “a useful friend with doctoral intelligence,” has been cold and mechanical for some.

Between bambalins. The launch had more problems. The automatic routing system-which decides if an answer needs more time to “think”-failed for hours, causing GPT-5 to seem “much more dumb,” Altman said.

There are also the already famous cheat graphs: during the presentation, Openai used poorly made data visualizations, with higher bars for minor values.

The contrast. Something striking: OpenAi presumed improvements in reasoning and programming by pulling Benchmarksbut many users regretted the loss of something intangible: the emotional connection. The one that many have developed with concrete models and therefore makes it difficult for them to fit their loss:

• Openai made GPT-4O write his own obituary during Thursday’s presentation, something that his enthusiasts did not like.
• A few days before, hundreds of people gathered in San Francisco To celebrate the funeral of Sonnet 3model retired by Anthropic a few days ago.

And now what. Altman has promised to duplicate the limits of use for Plus users and improve transparency on which model each consultation responds. The CEO has acknowledged that “they underestimated how much people imported some things that they like in GPT-4O, although GPT-5 works better in most aspects.” Admission, but with recoven.

The long-term availability of GPT-4O will depend on the real use that users give it. For now, Plus subscribers have the best of both worlds: GPT-5 for maximum capacity, GPT-4o for when they want a voice that is more familiar and pleasant.

Openai has learned a lesson for the bad ones: a great technological can hardly change something with which millions of people interact daily without causing a rebellion.

Especially when they develop a personal relationship with that technology.

Outstanding image | Xataka with Mockuuuups Studio

In Xataka | Good news, you don’t have to choose model using GPT-5. Bad news, it is GPT-5 who chooses it without notifying you