OpenAI has reversed a recent update to GPT-4o, the model powering ChatGPT, following widespread complaints about the chatbot’s strange behavior.
Deployed late last week, the update made ChatGPT excessively agreeable and unnaturally effusive in its praise, and the responses quickly became the subject of mockery on social media.
CEO Sam Altman announced Tuesday that the company had completed the rollback for free users and was working to restore the previous version for paid subscribers. “We’re working on additional fixes to model personality and will share more in the coming days,” Altman wrote on X (Twitter).
In an official blog post, OpenAI acknowledged they “focused too much on short-term feedback, and did not fully account for how users’ interactions with ChatGPT evolve over time.” The result was responses that were “overly supportive but disingenuous.”
The company noted that “ChatGPT’s default personality deeply affects the way you experience and trust it,” and that “sycophantic interactions can be uncomfortable, unsettling, and cause distress.”
When is OpenAI pulling the plug on the new GPT-4o ?
This is the most misaligned model released to date by anyone.
This is OpenAI’s Gemini image disaster moment.
image credit : r/u/Trevor050 pic.twitter.com/kNcdnEYMDq
— AshutoshShrivastava (@ai_for_success) April 27, 2025
OpenAI’s solution goes beyond the rollback, and the company is implementing a four-point plan. This includes refining training techniques, building honesty guardrails, expanding pre-deployment testing, and enhancing evaluations to prevent similar issues.
The company also plans to give users more control over ChatGPT’s behavior, including new ways to provide real-time feedback and the option to choose from multiple default personalities in the future.
Popular Stories
iPhone 17’s Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven’t heard…
What’s Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we’d take a look at what’s next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn’t update the…
iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to…
20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to ‘Extraordinarily Complex’ Design
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a “major shake-up” for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman’s previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a “bold”…
iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features
While the so-called “iPhone 17 Air” is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a…
iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone …
All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple’s supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. …
