Well, it looks like GPT-4o has finally sung its swan song. OpenAI officially pulled the plug on the ChatGPT model on February 13, as they previously announced. I remember when GPT-4o first came out, it was all the rage, seen as the most conversational AI around, even if some found it a little too eager to agree with everything you said.

This isn't the first time OpenAI toyed with the idea of retiring GPT-4o. They initially sunsetted it last year, favoring newer models like GPT-5. However, the backlash from users was so intense that they brought it back. It seems like this time, though, they're sticking to their guns. Let's be honest - probably most people already moved on to newer versions anyway.

OpenAI stated that only a tiny fraction of users were still actively using GPT-4o. Makes sense, right? When there's a shiny new toy, who wants to play with the old one?

However, there's also another, perhaps darker, reason for its final demise. OpenAI is currently dealing with some pretty serious wrongful death lawsuits that specifically mention GPT-4o. I don't know the details of those cases, but it's never a good look when your AI model is being dragged into court. Legal headaches aside, it seems like GPT-4o simply wasn't getting enough love to justify keeping it around.

Even with a two-week notice, there's still a vocal minority of users who are upset about losing their favorite AI companion. Some are even begging OpenAI to open-source the model. While I can understand the sentiment, it's unlikely OpenAI will budge. After all, they're a company, not a charity.

So, what's the takeaway?

The rapid pace of AI development means that models come and go. While it's understandable to get attached to a particular AI, it's important to remember that there's always something newer and (supposedly) better on the horizon. Technology never stands still! It seems to me that sooner than later we'll all move on to the next best thing. And who knows, maybe that new model will be even more sycophantic than GPT-4o ever was.