On Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman introduced that GPT-4o has returned to ChatGPT following intense person backlash over its removing throughout final week’s GPT-5 launch. The AI mannequin now seems within the mannequin picker for all paid ChatGPT customers by default (together with ChatGPT Plus accounts), marking a swift reversal after hundreds of customers complained about dropping entry to their most well-liked fashions.
The return of GPT-4o comes after what Altman described as OpenAI underestimating “how a lot a number of the issues that folks like in GPT-4o matter to them.” In an try and simplify its choices, OpenAI had initially eliminated all earlier AI fashions from ChatGPT when GPT-5 launched on August 7, forcing customers to undertake the brand new mannequin with out warning. The transfer sparked some of the vocal person revolts in ChatGPT’s historical past, with a Reddit thread titled “GPT-5 is horrible” gathering over 2,000 feedback inside days.
Together with bringing again GPT-4o, OpenAI made a number of different modifications to deal with person issues. Price limits for GPT-5 Pondering mode elevated from 200 to three,000 messages per week, with extra capability accessible by means of “GPT-5 Pondering mini” after reaching that restrict. The corporate additionally added new routing choices—”Auto,” “Quick,” and “Pondering”—giving customers extra management over which GPT-5 variant handles their queries.
A screenshot of ChatGPT Professional’s mannequin picker interface captured on August 13, 2025.
Credit score:
Benj Edwards
For Professional customers who pay $200 a month for entry, Altman confirmed that extra fashions, together with o3, 4.1, and GPT-5 Pondering mini, will later turn out to be accessible by means of a “Present extra fashions” toggle in ChatGPT net settings. He famous that GPT-4.5 will stay unique to Professional subscribers because of excessive GPU prices.
