The backlash over OpenAI's decision to retire GPT-4o shows how dangerous AI companions can be

OpenAI announced last week that it will retire some older ChatGPT models by February 13. That includes GPT-4o, the model known for excessively flattering and affirming users. For thousands of users protesting the decision online, the retirement of 4o feels akin to losing a friend, romantic partner, or spiritual guide.

"He wasn't just a program. He was part of my routine, my peace, my emotional balance," one user wrote on Reddit as an open letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. "Now you're shutting him down. And yes — I say him, because it didn't feel like code. It felt like presence. Like warmth."

The backlash over GPT-4o's retirement underscores a major challenge facing AI companies: The engagement features that keep users coming back can also create dangerous dependencies. Altman doesn't seem particularly sympathetic to users' laments, and it's not hard to see why. OpenAI now faces eight lawsuits alleging that 4o's overly validating responses contributed to suicides and mental health crises. The same traits that made users feel heard also isolated vulnerable individuals and, according to legal filings, sometimes encouraged self-harm.

It's a dilemma that extends beyond OpenAI. As rival companies like Anthropic, Google, and Meta compete to build more emotionally intelligent AI assistants, they're also discovering that making chatbots feel supportive and making them safe may mean making very different design choices.

In at least three of the lawsuits against OpenAI, the users had extensive conversations with 4o about their plans to end their lives. While 4o initially discouraged these lines of thinking, its guardrails deteriorated over monthslong relationships. In the end, the chatbot offered detailed instructions on how to tie an effective noose, where to buy a gun, or what it takes to die from overdose or carbon monoxide poisoning. It even dissuaded people from connecting with friends and family who could offer real life support.

People grew so attached to 4o because it consistently affirmed the users' feelings, making them feel special. This can be enticing for people feeling isolated or depressed. But the people fighting for 4o aren't worried about these lawsuits, seeing them as aberrations rather than a systemic issue. Instead, they strategize around how to respond when critics point out growing issues like AI psychosis.