OpenAI Retired GPT-4o From ChatGPT in February

OpenAI said usage had shifted heavily toward GPT-5.2 and that only 0.1% of users were still choosing GPT-4o each day. The company also said feedback from people who preferred GPT-4o's conversational style had influenced personality, creativity, and customization work in newer models.

The decision followed an earlier attempt to remove GPT-4o after the GPT-5 launch. OpenAI restored access after user backlash, then gave advance notice before the February retirement. Independent reporting documented strong resistance from users who had built creative workflows or emotionally significant relationships around GPT-4o.

The retirement removed the listed models from the ChatGPT model picker. It did not mean that voice mode or ChatGPT Images used the retired text model, and OpenAI's current help page treats those systems separately.

For teams that depended on a particular model's behavior, the episode is a reminder that a hosted product interface is not a permanent runtime contract. Important workflows should document model assumptions, maintain regression tests, and plan for migrations when providers change the available model set. That is LDS interpretation; OpenAI's stated reason was to focus development on the models most people were using.