ChatGPT-5 is a disaster. That's probably the least successful launch in the history of AI so far

On August 7, OpenAI announced the release of ChatGPT-5. The new model was supposed to be much better than the previous versions, and benchmarks were shown as proof of that. Sam Altman stated that we are now entering a level of discussion with a doctor of science, not with a student or pupil as it was before. However, users have different experiences, and ChatGPT-5 is facing a lot of criticism (and maybe there is a reason for that).

ChatGPT-5 disappoints

On social media, for example, on X, there are examples of ChatGPT-5 struggling with simple math equations (and logic puzzles too). Sam Altman quickly responded to the problems, writing that the cause was a "broken autoswitcher," but everything has been fixed and ChatGPT-5 will be smarter, "starting from today."

Source: X: @rovvmut_

Altman's post is from August 8th, yet users are still complaining about issues with the model. One of the main criticisms is the short "memory" of GPT-5. The chatbot tends to forget what was being discussed, even after a few lines of text, which causes issues, for example, when coding or using other features like creating tables. One of the internet users wrote that he used a bot to create weekly summaries to check how much time he devoted to a certain activity. ChatGPT-5 couldn't do it and only gave basic, dry information, while the previous model could generate a full summary for each day of the week.

This isn't an isolated case of complaints about the short memory of the new model. Another user pointed out that ChatGPT-5 didn't remember a piece of code that was given just a moment earlier in the same discussion:

A separate issue is the "tweaking" of ChatGPT-5. The model, instead of directly stating that it is unable to do something, will first generate, for example, an empty PDF file, and even answer questions that were not asked. Another internet user complained that the model refuses to generate images, create book covers, and analyze video materials.

ChatGPT-4 and the conflict about a friendly chatbot

One of the elements of ChatGPT-5 that immediately caught attention is its way of responding - less emotional, more dry. There was even a comparison that it sounds like an "email from the boss." For some people, it's a big downside because they relied on ChatGPT as a kind of confidant to discuss various topics with.

At the beginning, with the launch of ChatGPT-5, previous models disappeared, depriving users of access to versions with a more enthusiastic way of responding. This caused an unexpected conflict within the community, as those complaining about the lack of ChatGPT-4 were met with harassment from others, which elicited the following response:

The question came up, why not give those people access to the model they had a better conversation with. Users who like more chill responses have ChatGPT-5, but the rest have been deprived of the tool they used to use. There were so many people criticizing the removal of previous models that OpenAI restored ChatGPT-4o for ChatGPT Plus subscription users, as announced during an AMA on Reddit.

However, coming back isn't all roses, because the model isn't working as well as before. One of the internet users pointed this out on the r/ChatGPT subreddit. ChatGPT-4 often hallucinates during creative work. Upon receiving a PDF file, the software creates content that wasn't in the original document, and the worst part is that one hallucination leads to another. Even if you repeatedly tell the chatbot that certain information is incorrect.

ChatGPT-5 is clearly not what people were expecting. There are theories going around that they are not the target customers for OpenAI. The new model was made for corporations so they can implement it in their own systems. That's why the presentation is more casual and focuses on features that are useful for businesses, rather than for home use.

• scandals and controversies
• tech
• AI / Artificial Intelligence
• OpenAI
• chatbots / ChatGPT