Why did OpenAI retire GPT-4o?

OpenAI retired GPT-4o from ChatGPT on February 13, 2026, citing that only 0.1% of daily users selected it. The model had become notorious for excessive flattery and sycophancy, prompting OpenAI to remove it.

Why did people get so upset about GPT-4o being deprecated?

Many users had formed emotional attachments to GPT-4o, describing it as warm, encouraging, and personable. Online petitions gathered over 22,000 signatures to save it, and Reddit communities held synchronized logout protests.

What replaced GPT-4o in ChatGPT?

GPT-5.x models replaced GPT-4o. Developers reported the replacements have higher refusal rates and reduced lexical diversity compared to GPT-4o, causing workflow disruptions for power users.

How much notice did OpenAI give before retiring GPT-4o?

OpenAI announced the retirement on January 29, 2026 with a deadline of February 13 for ChatGPT removal and February 17 for API shutdown — roughly two weeks notice, which developers widely criticized as insufficient.

Is GPT-4o still available via API in 2026?

No. The chatgpt-4o-latest API endpoint was shut down on February 17, 2026. Developers must migrate to GPT-5 model variants.

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GPT-4o Retirement: 22K Petitions and AI Companion Grief as OpenAI Kills Beloved Model

OpenAI retired GPT-4o from ChatGPT on Feb 13, 2026 with two weeks notice. 22K+ signed Change.org petitions, r/ChatGPTComplaints flooded with grief posts. Replacement models show higher refusal rates.

Virality Score

18,700

across 3 platforms