OpenAI Reinstates GPT-4o After User Revolt

OpenAI pulled off a dramatic U-turn after a three-day user revolt, restoring GPT-4o and expanding usage limits. What started as a bold rollout of GPT-5 turned into a public relations crisis, forcing CEO Sam Altman to give loyal subscribers back their trusted models and boost rate caps to 3,000 weekly.

User Revolt Triggers U-Turn

On August 7, OpenAI launched GPT-5 as a unified system, removing the familiar model selection menu. Subscribers lost direct access to GPT-4o, GPT-4p, and other trusted variants, breaking creative workflows and cross-validation checks. The change sparked immediate backlash, mass cancellations, and online petitions demanding a rollback.

Reinstating GPT-4o and Boosting Limits

By August 10, Altman had reversed course. In tweets, he announced that GPT-4o and other legacy models are back in settings, and default GPT-5 remains optional. Plus users will see their reasoning rate limit soar from 24% daily usage to a generous 3,000 requests per week, a significant upgrade for the $20/month tier.

Transparency and Roadmap

To prevent future missteps, OpenAI pledged more transparency. A forthcoming UI update will display which model responds to each query, and a detailed blog post will explain capacity tradeoffs. For now, the company aims to rebuild trust after proving that even AI leaders must heed customer feedback.

Key Takeaways for AI Leaders

• Empower users with choices between AI models tailored to their workflows.
• Communicate rollout plans and capacity changes well before launch.
• Balance innovation with continuity to safeguard user trust.

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