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.

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A migration tool that moves your entire ChatGPT history, custom GPTs, and workflows to Claude or OpenClaw in one click

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2.5 million users joined the QuitGPT boycott over the Pentagon deal, and GPT-4o retirement triggered 22K petitions from users grieving their AI companion. These people want to leave but their years of conversation history, custom GPTs, system prompts, and workflows are locked inside OpenAI. This tool exports everything from ChatGPT, converts custom GPTs into OpenClaw skills, maps conversation history into a searchable local archive, and sets up Claude as a drop-in replacement.

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