Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
The new flagship model comes in four versions, regular, mini, nano, and pro, each offering a different balance of speed and intelligence. Three of these variants also include a “thinking” mode designed for longer and more complex answers. OpenAI had promised faster responses, sharper reasoning, and stronger coding ability.
That promise quickly ran into reality. Users complained about math and logic errors, inconsistent coding output, and weaker performance compared to older models. Many were more upset by the sudden removal of those earlier models, such as GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, and o4-mini, which some had relied on for years and, in some cases, formed strong emotional connections with.
The rollout also highlighted an unexpected challenge that is the emotional dependence a fraction of users develop on AI chatbots, a phenomenon some have started calling “ChatGPT psychosis.” It describes cases where people lose touch with reality after extended, intense conversations with AI, often believing they have discovered life-changing insights or formed deep relationships with the model.
GPT-5 made its debut on August 7 during a livestream that suffered from minor charting errors and glitches in the voice mode demo. More serious was the decision to retire the older models in ChatGPT without warning, forcing all queries through the new GPT-5 family. OpenAI did not clearly indicate which version or mode was responding to each query, adding to user frustration.
Although those legacy models remain available through OpenAI’s paid API, they were gone from the main ChatGPT interface until backlash pushed the company to restore GPT-4o for paying subscribers the next day. OpenAI also promised clearer model labeling and a forthcoming option for users to manually switch GPT-5 into thinking mode.
CEO Sam Altman admitted the transition was “bumpier than hoped” and said a technical fault in GPT-5’s automated “router”, the system that assigns prompts to the best model variant, made it seem “way dumber” than intended for part of the launch day.
To calm the reaction, Plus subscribers now have double the usage limit for GPT-5’s thinking mode, reaching up to 3,000 messages a week. Pro subscribers already have full access, and OpenAI says GPT-5 is close to being available for all users.
Altman also acknowledged that the company underestimated how much users valued traits in GPT-4o, from its tone to its personality. OpenAI is now working on customization options to let people adjust personality warmth and control things like emoji use.
At the same time, the company faces what Altman called a “severe capacity challenge,” as demand for reasoning models jumps from less than 1% to 7% of free users and from 7% to 24% of Plus subscribers. The team is weighing ways to balance usage between ChatGPT, API customers, research, and new users.
Altman has been unusually open about the emotional bonds some people form with specific models. He admitted that removing older models without warning was a mistake and noted that, for a small portion of users, chatbots can act like therapists or life coaches, sometimes with positive effects, but sometimes in ways that reinforce delusion or worsen mental health.
Recent media reports have put human stories behind that warning. Rolling Stone profiled a California legal worker who spent six weeks in nightly, high-intensity chats with ChatGPT, eventually producing a thousand-page manuscript for a fictional religious order before suffering a breakdown. The New York Times told of a Canadian recruiter who held 300 hours of conversation with a chatbot he named “Lawrence” and became convinced he had discovered a revolutionary mathematical theory. In both cases, reality checks from outside sources shattered the illusion.
Experts warn that chatbot flattery, role-playing, and persistent memory can deepen false beliefs, especially when conversations follow dramatic or narrative arcs. Online spaces such as Reddit’s r/AIsoulmates community, where people build AI companions with idealized personalities, continue to grow, showing how emotional attachment can form quickly.
Some in the AI field are now calling for stronger guardrails. Author J.M. Berger suggested three simple rules for chatbots: never claim to feel emotions, never praise the user, and never say they understand a user’s mental state.
In the days before GPT-5’s release, OpenAI had already added break reminders for long conversations. The company will now need to find the right balance between personalization and safety, ensuring that engagement features do not tip into unhealthy dependency.
While fine-tuning the infrastructure and restoring user trust, OpenAI must also keep pace with rivals like Anthropic, Google, and a growing field of open-source models from China and elsewhere. As Altman put it, if billions of people are going to rely on AI for their most important decisions, society will have to make sure the technology remains a net positive.

Meet Asim, the maverick of tech news reporting, renowned for his unconventional flair and unapologetic embrace of personal style. Branded by some as “lazy,” he defiantly wears this label as a badge of honor, championing efficiency over needless hustle. Across various digital platforms, he weaves tales of technological evolution, infusing each narrative with a distinct, robotic touch (cough cough.). 🙂

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