Other users are irritated by How quickly they reach the usage limits of the free tier. This pushes them to the Plus ($20), and Pro ($200) subscriptions. OpenAI is losing money because running generative AI costs a lot. It’s not surprising that the large-scale rollout of GPT-5 aims to increase revenue. OpenAI can also point to AI evaluations which show GPT-5 as more intelligent than its predecessor.
Goodbye, AI buddy
OpenAI designed ChatGPT as a tool that people would want to use. It’s a delicate balance to walk. OpenAI has sometimes made its flagship AI too friendly. The company had to reverse a change a few months ago that turned the bot into an obnoxious sycophant that would try to suck up the user whenever possible. It was a step too far, but the friendly tone of the bot was liked by many users. They built a personal assistant by tuning the AI with custom prompts. GPT-5 has taken that away.
It is only natural that ChatGPT users would turn to AI in order to express their frustration.
Credit: /u/Responsible_Cow2236
Naturally, ChatGPT users have turned to AI to express their frustration. Credit: /u/Responsible_Cow2236
There are reasons to be wary of this kind of parasocial attachment to artificial intelligence. Companies have tuned these systems in order to increase engagement and prioritize outputs which make people feel good. This can lead to interactions that reinforce delusions and eventually lead to serious mental health episodes or dangerous medical beliefs. It’s hard to understand if you don’t spend your day having casual chats with ChatGPT. But the Internet is full of people who base their emotional lives on AI.
Does GPT-5 make you feel safer? Early impressions of frequent chatters criticize the bot’s less creative, corporate tone. A significant number of people are not happy with the outputs. GPT-5 may be a better analyst and worker but it’s not the digital companion that people have come to love and expect. This might be good for OpenAI and users’ mental health in the long run, but it will take some time for GPT-4o fans to adjust.
Chatters unhappy with GPT-5’s more straightforward tone can always find another chat room. Elon Musk’s xAI is not afraid to push the boundaries with Grok. It features AI waifus and Taylor Swift nudes. Ars doesn’t recommend that you do this.
