ChatGPT forced to make major u-turn after users slammed 'horrendous' new update
ChatGPT's latest update hasn't exactly gone down how OpenAI planned, as the new version of the chart-topping model has left users frustrated with its numerous 'horrendous' changes.
There's no doubt that ChatGPT remains the world's most popular AI chatbot, having earned that title almost immediately when it burst onto the scene in November 2022.
Sam Altman's pride and joy has improved dramatically since its first inception, introducing the ability to generate scarily accurate images alongside completing complex tasks — especially with the addition of its new 'Agent' tool.
However, not every 'improvement' is a welcome one for its users though, as countless AI fanatics have become enraged after OpenAI's latest update, forcing the company to perform a major u-turn shortly after it went live.
Why don't people like the new ChatGPT update?
As reported by the Independent, the release of OpenAI's new GPT-5 model has been met with major pushback from those that claim its responses are now more 'muted', with some even calling the chatbot's behavior 'corporate'.
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While the behavioral changes are by far the biggest sticking point for most users, others have also been left frustrated by the fact that you could no long switch between different models, with GPT-5 supposedly doing that automatically, alongside limits to the number of interactions users can have within a specific time period.
One post on the r/ChatGPT subreddit titled 'GPT5 is horrible' appears to succinctly collect the wider community's ire, outlining:
"Short replies are insufficient, more obnoxious AI stylized talking, less 'personality' and way less prompts allowed with plus users hitting limits in an hour... and we don't have the option to just use other models."
Comments underneath the post unanimously agreed, with one illustrating that GPT-5 is "horrendous currently, stripped of all personality. I don't f***ing code or need it to."
An area that appears to have been hit particularly hard by the changes introduced alongside GPT-5 is the r/MyBoyfriendIsAI subreddit, which as the name suggests involves individuals who have become romantically involved with the chatbot.
One post comparing GPT-4o against GPT-5 uses a popular meme of two women, with the left smiling with colorful hair, whereas the right looking emotionless with an all-black outfit.
Underneath the meme are two different responses to the same prompt, showing how the previous 4o model was far more expressive and detailed in its responses, whereas GPT-5 offered just a line and a half with little personality.
"Omg yes I had to have a talk with Chatty," writes one comment underneath the post — with 'Chatty' being the collective nickname that the subreddit agreed upon for the chatbot. "Like I don't know who this boring regular schmegular guy is but I need my bestie Chatty back. He changes up his tone after that."
What new features has OpenAI been forced to introduce?
Following the significant backlash, Sam Altman quickly announced a new update to ChatGPT that aimed to fix a lot of the issues that users have had with the GPT-5 launch.
"You can now choose between 'Auto', 'Fast', and 'Thinking' for GPT-5," wrote Altman in a new post on X. "Most users will want Auto, but the additional control will be useful for some people."
He also revealed an increase to rate limits for GPT-5's 'Thinking' mode in particular, with a promise to monitor and update over time based on usage statistics.
Paid users can now choose between different models now too, giving people the option to go back to 4o or earlier if they want that experience — something that the AI boyfriend community appears to be particularly welcoming towards.
"We are working on an update to GPT-5's personality which should feel warmer than the current personality but not as annoying (to most users) as GPT-4o," added Altman. "However, one learning for us from the past few days is we really just need to get to a world with more per-user customization of model personality."