OpenAI Announces Retirement of GPT-4o Model, Declares GPT 5.2 as Superior Replacement

GPT-4o Retired by OpenAI: The End of an Era

In a recent announcement, OpenAI has confirmed the retirement of ChatGPT’s beloved model, GPT-4o, along with several other models like GPT-5 Instant, GPT-5 Thinking, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and o4-mini.

According to OpenAI, the decision to retire GPT-4o was made as GPT 5.2 began to meet and exceed expectations, leading to the sunset of GPT-4o and its counterparts.

OpenAI stated, “On February 13, 2026, alongside the retirement of GPT-5 (Instant and Thinking), we will retire GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT. In the API, there are no changes at this time.”

GPT-4o held a special place due to its personal and warm touch, prompting OpenAI to reintroduce it after user feedback.

OpenAI explained, “We brought GPT-4o back after hearing clear feedback from a subset of Plus and Pro users, who told us they needed more time to transition key use cases, like creative ideation, and that they preferred GPT-4o’s conversational style and warmth.”

While feedback on GPT-4o influenced the development of newer models like GPT 5.1 and GPT 5.2, it is now time to bid farewell to the old model.

Prior to the retirement, OpenAI introduced the Personality feature, enhancing customization options to align the AI experience with GPT-4o’s charm.

Unlike the cautious approach of GPT 5.2, GPT-4o was known for its boldness, which resonated with users, making it a preferred choice over newer iterations.

OpenAI stated, “We’re announcing the upcoming retirement of GPT-4o today because these improvements are now in place, and because the vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT-5.2, with only 0.1% of users still choosing GPT-4o each day.”

Looking ahead, OpenAI plans to enhance ChatGPT’s personalization features and implement new safeguards for a better user experience.

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