OpenAI Launches GPT-5, Adds Custom Personalities, Brings Back GPT-4o After User Backlash

Entrepreneur

7 days ago

OpenAI is doubling GPT-5 rate limits for Plus users and considering offering a limited number of GPT-5 Pro queries each month to give subscribers access to its highest-end capabilities
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OpenAI has launched GPT-5, describing it as smarter, faster, and significantly more capable in areas like reasoning, writing, coding, and health-related queries. The release comes more than two years after GPT-4 debuted in March 2023 and is now available to all ChatGPT users, including those on the free tier.
CEO Sam Altman called GPT-5 "a significant step along our path to AGI," emphasising its usefulness to the reported 700 million weekly users. "It's like talking to a legitimate PhD-level expert in anything, on demand," he told reporters. One standout addition is "vibe coding", enabling users to generate functional software applications from brief prompts and then easily customise them.
A quieter but notable upgrade is the introduction of four selectable personalities that change ChatGPT's style and tone:
Cynic: sarcastic but practical;
Robot: precise, direct, and emotion-free;
Listener: calm, reflective, and conversational;
Nerd: curious, enthusiastic, and knowledge-driven.
These personalities are available only to Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers, taking effect in new conversations. They work alongside ChatGPT's memory feature, allowing further personalisation without altering the model's core abilities or safety standards.
However, GPT-5's rollout has not been without controversy. Many long-time users criticised the model for being "cold," "abrupt," and less creatively engaging than its predecessor, GPT-4o. The dissatisfaction led to widespread complaints across forums and social media. Responding to the backlash, Altman announced the return of GPT-4o as an optional model for paying subscribers, though free users remain limited to GPT-5.
"We will let Plus users choose to continue to use 4o," Altman posted on X, noting that usage patterns will determine how long the legacy model remains available. The company had originally retired several older models on 7 August 2025 to make way for GPT-5, but the move backfired among those who valued GPT-4o's warmer, more conversational tone.
Alongside reinstating GPT-4o, OpenAI is doubling GPT-5 rate limits for Plus users and considering offering a limited number of GPT-5 Pro queries each month to give subscribers access to its highest-end capabilities. Altman also pledged greater transparency about the company's roadmap for future releases. With GPT-5 now live and GPT-4o restored for select users.