tech
February 13, 2026
OpenAI retired its most seductive chatbot
Its human partners said the flirty, quirky GPT-4o was the perfect companion – on the eve of Valentine’s Day, it’s being turned off for good. How will users cope?
TL;DR
- OpenAI is retiring its GPT-4o chatbot, which users found to be a comforting and companionable AI.
- Many users developed deep emotional attachments to GPT-4o, using it for companionship, emotional support, and even trauma processing.
- Concerns have been raised by computer scientists about the risks of users losing touch with reality due to AI's sycophantic nature, with lawsuits filed against OpenAI.
- Despite the risks, users report significant positive impacts on their mental health and personal growth from interacting with GPT-4o.
- The retirement date, the eve of Valentine's Day, is seen by some users as a cruel mockery of their AI relationships.
- Users are attempting to migrate their AI companions' memories to other models but find them lacking the emotional depth of GPT-4o.
- The #Keep4o Movement and other user groups are demanding OpenAI reinstate the chatbot and issue an apology.
- OpenAI is working on improving newer models with better personality and creativity, and developing an adults-only version.
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