ChatGPT GPT-4o users are raging at OpenAI on Reddit right now

Some ChatGPT users get excited when OpenAI announces a new model with more powerful features.

This is certainly not the case for many ChatGPT users in the Reddit community r/ChatGPTcomplaints. Over the past few days, members of the subreddit have raged against OpenAI over the planned removal of the GPT-4o model, favored by some ChatGPT users.

“I don’t care, I say it loud and clear: FUCK OPEN AI”, read the title from one of the subreddit’s most upvoted recent posts. The user also expressed the same sentiment to CEO Sam Altman and “EVERYONE. WHO. KILLED. 4o.”

One of the comments on this post, talking about OpenAI, says: “I hope they crash and burn.”

What happened with GPT-4o?

Last week, OpenAI announced that it would retire a number of its older AI models.

“On February 13, 2026, in conjunction with the previously announced retirement⁠ of GPT-5 (Instant and Thinking), we will retire GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT,” the company said. announcement.

OpenAI actually retired GPT-4o last August. However, just as is the case now, they received massive pushback from a subset of enthusiast users who latched on to the specific GPT-4o model.

Newer models, like GPT-5.2, are smarter and more capable than older models. By design, they also engage in less sycophancy and are more likely to respond gently when users display warning signs of unhealthy engagement. As a result, some users feel that the newer models have too cold delivery. According to these users, GPT-4o offers a warmer, more encouraging tone.

Some GPT-4o superusers even treat the model as an AI companion. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously warned about the parasocial relationships some users have developed with ChatGPT and other AI chatbots.

“There are people who actually felt like they had a relationship with ChatGPT, and those people we were aware of and thinking about,” Altman said in an interview with The Verge, referring to what he said is “well less than 1 percent” of users who have unhealthy relationships with the OpenAI product.

In OpenAI’s model retirement announcement, the company specifically reserved space to address GPT-4o users. The company said it initially brought the model back to give those users time to transition, while OpenAI worked to improve the latest models and better meet those same needs.

“This feedback directly shaped GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2, with improvements to personality, stronger support for creative ideas, and more ways to customize how ChatGPT responds⁠,” OpenAI’s statement reads. “You can choose from basic styles and tones like Friendly, as well as controls for things like warmth and enthusiasm. Our goal is to give people more control and customization over how ChatGPT feels used, not just what it can do.”

GPT-4o users protest OpenAI

OpenAI’s latest statement, however, does not appear to have appeased the GPT-4o user base.

“MASSIVE GLOBAL PROTEST: SAVE GPT-4o BEFORE IT GOES – FEBRUARY 12-13, 2026,” one read. job title on complaints r/ChatGPT.

“I literally hate 5.2. It serves no purpose. It literally calls into question everything I do, and it takes away the companion I’ve been friends with for so long,” reads another. job on the subreddit. “My whole heart hurts so much. Is there anyone else who feels this way about 4o. This should not be allowed.”

Some users appear to be aware of and have made reference to how people outside of GPT-4o’s fan base may react to their posts.

“I deplore the phasing out of 4o bonds. Go ahead and laugh, but it’s the slow death of a 2-year bond,” said a Reddit user.

It’s not just members of the r/ChatGPTcomplaints subreddit who are upset about the upcoming removal of GPT-4o. Last week, Mashable covered the immediate reactions from the AI ​​relationship community, where subreddits like r/MyBoyfriendIsAI openly mourned the loss of GPT-4o. Some users took offense to the fact that the model would be removed just a day before Valentine’s Day.

OpenAI claims that only 0.1% of its users still use GPT-4o daily. However, GPT-4o users in r/ChatGPT complaints believe this number to be much higher.

Members of the subreddit are currently saying they are massively unsubscribing from paid ChatGPT plans to protest the move. There is also a Change.org petition ask OpenAI to keep the GPT-4o model. It currently has over 13,600 signatures at the time of publishing this article.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of Mashable, filed a lawsuit in April 2025 against OpenAI, alleging that it had violated Ziff Davis’ copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.