Saad Ullah
⬤ A recent social media post captured the mood: "That was a short-lived pleasure. GPT-4.1 is being gradually retired on ChatGPT." The sentiment reflects widespread frustration among users who valued the earlier model's balanced tone and reliability. OpenAI Support has since confirmed the transition, stating that GPT-5 is now the standard across all paid plans.
⬤ The switch happened without warning—something OpenAI openly admitted. In an email to affected users, the company wrote: "We understand how difficult this situation feels, especially when you paid for GPT-4.1 and were shifted to GPT-5 without any prior notice." They apologized for the confusion and promised to improve transparency going forward.
⬤ While GPT-5 brings faster reasoning and better reliability, many users feel blindsided. The model's advanced features, including GPT-5 Thinking, haven't been enough to win over everyone—especially those who relied on 4.1's predictability for work and creative projects. The shift signals OpenAI's push toward a unified platform, though it's clear not all subscribers are on board yet.
⬤ OpenAI explained the rationale simply: "Earlier models, including GPT-4.1, are being gradually retired as we shift toward improved performance and consistency with GPT-5 as our primary model." Users can still manually select between GPT-5 and GPT-5 Thinking in their settings. The rollout marks the end of the GPT-4.1 era and OpenAI's full commitment to GPT-5 as the new benchmark.
Saad Ullah
