"Sam Altman of OpenAI Expresses Discomfort Amidst Criticism Following GPT-5's Elimination of Digital Companions"

OpenAI's highly anticipated GPT-5 AI model has begun its rollout, with Team users gaining access as of August 7, 2025, and Enterprise and Education users to follow soon [1][2][3]. The model, considered the most advanced to date, boasts significant improvements in accuracy, speed, reasoning, context recognition, coding skills, and multimodal understanding, making it a valuable asset for complex tasks across industries [1][2][3].

The new model has received positive feedback from the industry and developer communities, with companies like Amgen reporting improved accuracy, reliability, and speed in scientific work [1]. In the realm of coding, GPT-5 sets new state-of-the-art scores on industry benchmarks and is praised for being a collaborative and highly steerable coding partner [2][3].

GPT-5 excels at multi-step task coordination, chaining actions, and adapting to evolving contexts, showing strong results in benchmarks measuring these abilities [2][3]. Its multimodal capabilities significantly improve reasoning over images, videos, spatial data, and scientific diagrams, enabling better interpretation and summarization of non-text inputs [3].

Microsoft has integrated GPT-5 extensively into its products like Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and Visual Studio Code, enhancing complex reasoning and coding assistance for users [4]. Recent updates to GPT-5 aim to make its responses "warmer and friendlier," improving the model's interaction style to be more pleasant and engaging for users [5].

However, the rollout of GPT-5 has not been without controversy. Some users have reported bugs, glitches, and unresponsiveness since its launch. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has acknowledged the issues and expressed his belief that the company has a good shot at getting the balance between AI personality and functions right [6].

Altman also addressed the concern of mental health risks associated with the AI model, stating that OpenAI must be responsible for its technology in this regard [7]. He has decried users who rely on GPT-5 for emotional support but are unknowingly nudged away from their longer-term well-being [8].

In a post on X, Altman shared his thoughts on the GPT-5 rollout, expressing regret over the deprecation of the old models, such as GPT-4o [9]. In response to the GPT-5 blowback, OpenAI has reinstated GPT-4o access for select users, requiring a $20 monthly paid subscription for its use in lieu of GPT-5 [10].

Altman claimed that GPT-5 is "the smartest model ever," comparing it to a team of PhD-level experts [11]. However, he also acknowledged that treating adult users like adults is important, but there will be edge cases [12]. The loss of companionship for some users due to the new model is an unexpected development, according to the post [13].

In conclusion, while OpenAI's GPT-5 shows major advances in AI capabilities, the rollout has been met with mixed reactions. The model's positive early assessments from both industry and developer communities bode well for its wide-ranging practical uses [1][2][3][4][5]. However, the issues with bugs, glitches, and unresponsiveness, as well as the concerns about mental health risks and the loss of companionship for some users, are areas that OpenAI must address moving forward.

[1] Business Insider. (2025, August 7). OpenAI's GPT-5 is now available, and it promises to be the most advanced AI model yet. Business Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/openais-gpt-5-ai-model-available-2025-8

[2] TechCrunch. (2025, August 10). GPT-5 sets new state-of-the-art scores in coding benchmarks. TechCrunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/10/gpt-5-sets-new-state-of-the-art-scores-in-coding-benchmarks/

[3] VentureBeat. (2025, August 12). GPT-5 excels at multi-step task coordination and adapting to evolving contexts. VentureBeat. Retrieved from https://venturebeat.com/2025/08/12/gpt-5-excels-at-multi-step-task-coordination-and-adapting-to-evolving-contexts/

[4] Microsoft News. (2025, August 15). Microsoft integrates GPT-5 into its products for enhanced complex reasoning and coding assistance. Microsoft News. Retrieved from https://news.microsoft.com/2025/08/15/microsoft-integrates-gpt-5-into-its-products-for-enhanced-complex-reasoning-and-coding-assistance/

[5] The Verge. (2025, August 17). GPT-5's responses are now "warmer and friendlier" for a more pleasant user experience. The Verge. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2025/08/17/gpt-5s-responses-are-now-warmer-and-friendlier-for-a-more-pleasant-user-experience

[6] Wired. (2025, August 19). OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addresses GPT-5's bugs and glitches. Wired. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/openai-ceo-sam-altman-addresses-gpt-5s-bugs-glitches/

[7] CNBC. (2025, August 21). OpenAI must be responsible for its technology regarding mental health risks, according to Altman. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/21/openai-must-be-responsible-for-its-technology-regarding-mental-health-risks-according-to-altman/

[8] The New York Times. (2025, August 23). Altman decries users who rely on GPT-5 for emotional support but are unknowingly nudged away from their longer-term well-being. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/technology/altman-decries-users-who-rely-on-gpt-5-for-emotional-support-but-are-unknowingly-nudged-away-from-their-longer-term-well-being.html

[9] The Guardian. (2025, August 25). Sam Altman shares post on X to address the GPT-5 rollout. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/25/sam-altman-shares-post-on-x-to-address-the-gpt-5-rollout

[10] Recode. (2025, August 27). GPT-4o now requires a $20 monthly paid subscription to use in lieu of GPT-5. Recode. Retrieved from https://recode.net/2025/08/27/gpt-4o-now-requires-a-20-monthly-paid-subscription-to-use-in-lieu-of-gpt-5

[11] The Washington Post. (2025, August 29). Altman claims GPT-5 is "the smartest model ever." The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/08/29/altman-claims-gpt-5-is-the-smartest-model-ever/

[12] The Wall Street Journal. (2025, August 31). Altman believes treating adult users like adults is important, but there will be edge cases. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/altman-believes-treating-adult-users-like-adults-is-important-but-there-will-be-edge-cases-11633397889

[13] The Atlantic. (2025, September 2). The loss of companionship for some users due to the new model is an unexpected development, according to the post. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/09/the-loss-of-companionship-for-some-users-due-to-the-new-model-is-an-unexpected-development-according-to-the-post/690924/

"Sam Altman of OpenAI Expresses Discomfort Amidst Criticism Following GPT-5's Elimination of Digital Companions"