OpenAI Sunsets GPT-4o and Users Revolt: Inside the #keep4o Backlash
OpenAI's decision to fully deprecate GPT-4o has ignited a user rebellion, complete with petitions, protest hashtags, and calls for Sam Altman's firing — revealing just how emotionally invested people have become in specific model personalities.
OpenAI officially pulled the plug on GPT-4o this week, and the fallout has been fiercer than anyone inside the company likely anticipated. What was supposed to be a routine model transition — the kind the industry has normalized over three years of rapid iteration — has instead become a full-blown user revolt, with the hashtag #keep4o trending and organized protests demanding the company reverse course.
The backlash was first distilled by @ekuyda, the CEO of Replika, who noted that "so many people are really upset about OpenAI sunsetting GPT-4o for good" and argued that companies "should let people keep using legacy models." Coming from the founder of a company built entirely around emotional AI relationships, the observation carries particular weight. Kuyda understands better than most that users don't just adopt models — they bond with them. And forcing a breakup without warning is a product management failure dressed up as progress.
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