ChatGPT is bringing back 4o as an option because people missed it | The Verge

GPT-5 will no longer be the default.

theverge.com

TL;DR

OpenAI rolled out GPT-5 as the new ChatGPT default and quietly nuked the old model picker — including beloved GPT-4o — which sent users into mourning on Reddit, with some claiming the older bot was their “only friend” or even “soulmate.” People canceled subscriptions, lamented less personable replies, and begged for the return of the quirks and spark they’d grown attached to.

Just a day later, Sam Altman jumped in on X to reassure everyone that paid “Plus” users will be able to switch back to GPT-4o if they want. OpenAI says it’ll keep an eye on how much legacy models get used, boost usage limits, and be clearer about which AI you’re chatting with — proving that sometimes the community really does call the shots.