Sam Altman lists steps to improve ChatGPT after GPT-5 backlash

In response to growing user dissatisfaction, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has announced significant upgrades to ChatGPT, following the recent launch of the GPT-5 model. Released just last week, GPT-5 faced a lukewarm reception, prompting many subscribers, particularly in the $20/month Plus plan, to express their frustration on social media and threaten to cancel their subscriptions. To address these concerns, OpenAI has reinstated access to the GPT-4o model for paying users and announced an increase in the number of queries available to Plus subscribers. Starting Monday, users will be able to submit 3,000 queries per week with the GPT-5 model, a substantial rise from the initial limit of 200 queries. Previously, Plus users enjoyed access to a variety of models, including standard and reasoning models like o3 and o4 mini. However, the rollout of GPT-5 eliminated these options, leaving users feeling restricted. Altman took to X, assuring users that OpenAI is committed to enhancing the total usage for current paying subscribers compared to their experience prior to GPT-5. In addition to boosting the Plus tier, Altman mentioned plans to elevate the quality of the free version of ChatGPT, although specifics were not provided. He also hinted at modifications to make GPT-5 “warmer,” addressing user complaints about the model's emotional responsiveness and the brevity of its answers. Despite these issues, OpenAI claims that GPT-5 has advanced in several key areas, including coding, reasoning, accuracy, health insights, writing capabilities, and multimodal reasoning. The new model is designed to reduce the occurrence of hallucinations—instances where the AI fabricates information—and to be less excessively agreeable. Instead of allowing users to pick models, OpenAI has introduced a unified system in GPT-5 that intelligently routes queries to the appropriate version of the model, whether it be standard or reasoning. Additionally, four new personalities—Cynic, Robot, Listener, and Nerd—have been incorporated to provide users with a tailored ChatGPT experience, although this feature remains exclusive to paying customers.