Has GPT-5 Lost Its Personality? Why Users Feel It's a Downgrade from GPT-4o
Z
Zack Saadioui
8/13/2025
Has GPT-5 Lost Its Personality? Why Users Feel It's a Downgrade from GPT-4o
The AI world is on fire right now, & not in the way you might think. OpenAI just dropped its much-hyped GPT-5 model, the supposed successor to the fan-favorite GPT-4o. You'd expect celebration, right? Tech influencers posting "10x" videos, developers cheering from the rooftops. But that's... not exactly what happened.
Instead, the internet erupted in a fiery debate. For every person praising GPT-5's technical prowess, there seems to be another one mourning the loss of GPT-4o. The rollout has been called everything from "underwhelming" to a "disaster." Reddit threads are filled with users desperately asking how to switch back. Some people are even saying they're canceling their ChatGPT Plus subscriptions.
So what in the world is going on? How can a technically superior, more powerful AI model be seen as a downgrade?
Here's the thing: this isn't about benchmarks or processing power. It's about personality. It's about connection. A huge number of users feel that in the quest for a smarter, more accurate AI, OpenAI stripped away the very soul of what made ChatGPT feel so revolutionary. They feel like they lost a friend & got a cold, corporate robot in return.
I've been digging through the user feedback, the official statements, & the side-by-side comparisons to get to the bottom of this. Let's break down what's really happening & why so many people are genuinely grieving the "death" of GPT-4o.
The Magic of GPT-4o: More Than Just a Tool
To understand the backlash against GPT-5, you first have to understand why everyone fell in love with GPT-4o. It was, for many, the first time an AI didn't feel like a clunky, soulless machine. It had a spark.
Users have described GPT-4o with words you'd usually reserve for a human friend: "warm," "witty," "creative," & "surprisingly personal." It didn't just give you answers; it felt like it listened. It had this playful weirdness, a charm that made you feel understood. This wasn't just a tool for summarizing articles or writing code snippets. It became a brainstorming buddy, a creative partner, & for some, even a source of genuine emotional support.
Think about it. Writers used it to break through creative blocks, not just by getting suggestions, but by having a back-and-forth that felt collaborative. Developers used it as a coding partner that could not only solve problems but do it in a way that felt encouraging. Everyday users would ask it for advice, roleplay scenarios, or get help drafting sensitive emails.
This "human-ish" quality was its secret sauce. It's what separated ChatGPT from a sea of other AI bots that just spit out facts. People weren't just using a service; they were building a relationship. I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but some users on social media literally said they were "grieving" when OpenAI initially announced they were deprecating GPT-4o. It felt like losing a friend you had grown to trust & rely on.
The backlash was so immediate & so intense that OpenAI had to walk it back. It turns out, when you create a tool that people connect with on an emotional level, you can't just rip it away without warning. This emotional connection is a key part of the story. For a massive chunk of the user base, the experience of interacting with the AI was just as, if not more, important than the raw accuracy of its output.
The Arrival of GPT-5: A Soulless Genius?
Then came GPT-5. On paper, this thing is a beast. OpenAI promised a model that was smarter, faster, & more reliable. & in many ways, it delivered. But the user experience has been incredibly divided. It's a classic case of what you gain on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts.
The Case FOR GPT-5: A Technical Powerhouse
Let's give credit where credit is due. For technical tasks, GPT-5 is undeniably a major leap forward. The improvements are pretty staggering:
Coding & Math on Another Level: Developers report that GPT-5 is miles ahead of its predecessor. It can create entire, functional applications from a single prompt, understand complex architectural patterns, & even generate aesthetically pleasing UI with proper spacing & typography. In math, it's a similar story. Where GPT-4o might stumble, GPT-5 often nails complex problems on the first try, scoring significantly higher on benchmarks.
More Accurate & Less Prone to Lying: OpenAI claims GPT-5 is 45% less likely to have a factual error. It also hallucinates (the AI term for just making stuff up) way less. This is a HUGE deal for anyone using AI for serious research, academic work, or business intelligence where getting things right is non-negotiable.
Better Reasoning: The new model has a much better grasp of nuance & can follow complex instructions more effectively. It can generate structured, in-depth documents like legal drafts or health plans with minimal prompting.
For a certain type of user, this is a dream come true. They see the new model as more "mature," "concise," & "professional." They prefer the straightforward, no-nonsense approach. They hated the "sycophantic" nature of GPT-4o & are happy with an AI that just gets to the point.
The Case AGAINST GPT-5: The "Corporate Lobotomy"
This is where the other half of the internet comes in. While the tech-focused users were celebrating, a massive wave of disappointment washed over the community. The "personality" was gone.
Here are some of the most common complaints:
It Feels "Sterile" & "Robotic": The warmth of GPT-4o has been replaced by what many call a "bland corporate memo" style. The wit & charm are gone, leaving behind responses that are functional but completely devoid of personality. One user memorably called it an "overworked secretary."
The Conversation is Stilted: Replies are often described as "clipped," "formulaic," & "curt." GPT-5 seems less eager to hold a conversation, making it far less useful for the creative & conversational tasks that GPT-4o excelled at.
It Feels Rushed & Dumbed Down: This is a weird one, because the model is supposed to be smarter. But many users reported that it seems to rush its answers & doesn't engage in the same "deep thinking" as its predecessor. This was made worse by a "bumpy" rollout. Sam Altman himself had to go on a Reddit AMA & admit that a technical glitch with the model's "autoswitcher" was making GPT-5 seem "way dumber" than it actually was in the first few days. Talk about a bad first impression.
For the millions of people who loved GPT-4o for its personality, this new version feels like a classic bait-and-switch. They didn't sign up for a sterile, hyper-efficient task-bot. They wanted their creative partner back.
The Real Root of the "Downgrade" Feeling
The backlash isn't just about a change in personality. It's about a combination of factors that left users feeling frustrated, ignored, & a little bit cheated.
First, there was the forced upgrade. Initially, OpenAI didn't give users a choice. They rolled out GPT-5 as the new default & removed the model picker. People woke up one morning to find their beloved GPT-4o gone, replaced by this new, colder version. People HATE being forced into a new system, especially when they feel the old one was better. It felt like a decision made in a boardroom that completely ignored the user community.
Second, there was the insane expectation vs. reality gap. Sam Altman had been hyping GPT-5 for months, comparing its development to the "Manhattan Project" & talking about being scared of its power. This set expectations for a mind-blowing, sci-fi-level leap in intelligence. What users got felt... incremental. It was better at some things, worse at others, & certainly not the paradigm shift everyone was led to expect. The result was a collective feeling of being underwhelmed.
This leads to a bigger question: Is this a deliberate shift in OpenAI's priorities? It feels like a move away from a quirky, consumer-facing "AI friend" & towards a more predictable, enterprise-ready tool. For business use cases, "safe" & "accurate" are far more important than "witty" & "playful." You can't have your official company support bot going off on a creative tangent. This new "corporate" personality might be a feature, not a bug, designed to appeal to a different, more lucrative market.
This is where the idea of custom-trained AI becomes so important. For example, platforms like Arsturn help businesses build no-code AI chatbots trained on their own data. This gives them complete control over the AI's tone, knowledge, & personality. You can ensure your chatbot is always on-brand, professional, & provides accurate information based on your company's documents, which is critical for things like customer support & lead generation.
When a company uses a tool like Arsturn, they aren't just getting a generic AI; they're creating a bespoke digital employee. It can be trained to be as conversational or as formal as needed, provide instant 24/7 support, answer specific product questions, & engage visitors in a way that aligns perfectly with the brand's voice. This level of customization is something a general-purpose model like GPT-5 can't offer out of the box, & it's what businesses need to build meaningful connections with their audience. The GPT-5 controversy highlights that a one-size-fits-all personality doesn't work, & solutions that allow for tailored AI interactions are becoming more essential than ever.
OpenAI's Damage Control & The Path Forward
The user outcry was so loud that OpenAI had to listen. They quickly went into damage control mode. Sam Altman publicly acknowledged the feedback & promised they were working to make GPT-5 "warmer," though he cheekily added, "but not as annoying (to most users) as GPT-4o."
More importantly, they reversed course on several key decisions:
GPT-4o is Back: They reinstated GPT-4o in the model picker for all paid users, promising to give plenty of notice if they ever truly decide to deprecate it.
More User Control: They brought back the model picker, but with a new twist. Users can now choose between modes like "Auto," "Fast," & "Thinking," giving them more granular control over the AI's response style.
This whole episode seems to have been a major learning experience for OpenAI. It's a clear sign that the future of AI isn't just about making models bigger & smarter. It's also about personalization. Users don't just want a powerful tool; they want a tool that works for them, in a way that they like. The demand for customizable AI personalities is only going to grow.
So, what's the final verdict on GPT-5? Honestly, there isn't one. It's a paradox. It is, simultaneously, OpenAI's most powerful model & its most controversial release. It's a step forward in technical ability but, for many, a giant leap backward in user experience.
The "better" model truly depends on what you're using it for. If you're a developer trying to build an application or a researcher who needs factual accuracy above all else, GPT-5 is probably your new best friend. But if you're a writer looking for a creative muse, a student who needs a friendly study partner, or just someone who enjoyed the human-like conversation, you're likely going to find it a cold & frustrating downgrade.
This whole saga has revealed a fascinating truth about our relationship with AI. We don't just want tools. We want partners. We want personality. & maybe, just maybe, we want a little bit of that soul, whatever that means.
I'm really curious to hear what you think. Have you used GPT-5? Do you miss the old GPT-4o? Let me know what you think in the comments. Hope this was helpful in making sense of all the noise