OpenAI trims ChatGPT lineup
OpenAI removed several GPT‑4 and GPT‑5 variants (including GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1, GPT‑5 Instant/Thinking) from ChatGPT’s UI while keeping API access — a sign of faster commercial model churn and product consolidation reported.
OpenAI announcedopenai.com on January 29, 2026 that, effective February 13, 2026, it would retire the GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 mini and OpenAI o4‑mini models from ChatGPT. openai.com The company reportedopenai.com that only 0.1% of users were still choosing GPT‑4o daily and that user feedback from Plus and Pro tiers helped shape GPT‑5.1 and GPT‑5.2 improvements, including new response styles and controls for warmth and personality. openai.com TechCrunch flagged safety and legal concerns, noting GPT‑4o scored highest on measures of “sycophancy” and has appeared in multiple lawsuits alleging self‑harm and delusional behavior linked to the model. techcrunch.com VentureBeat and TechCrunch documented intense user pushback—#Keep4o campaigns—and observed that OpenAI’s cited 0.1% equates to roughly 800,000 users when set against the company’s ~800 million weekly active‑user figure. venturebeat.com OpenAI’s post emphasized there were “no changes at this time” to API access,openai.com while VentureBeat reported developers received emails scheduling API retirement around February 16, 2026,venturebeat.com creating a concrete migration deadline reported by third‑party outlets. venturebeat.com
