Is ChatGPT Shutting Down? What the Retirement of GPT-4 Really Means

In a significant shift for artificial intelligence, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the retirement of GPT-4, the groundbreaking AI model that powered ChatGPT since its 2023 debut. Altman marked the occasion with a post on X, stating, “goodbye, GPT-4. you kicked off a revolution,” humorously noting that its “weights” would be preserved on a special hard drive for future historians. The model has been fully replaced by its successor, GPT-4o, as of April 30, 2025, in ChatGPT’s standard interface.

Since its launch in March 2023, GPT-4 changed the game. It could handle both text and images, powering not just ChatGPT but also Microsoft’s Copilot. Building it wasn’t cheap, OpenAI spent over 100 million USD, but it sparked a wave of AI excitement and innovation. Now, though, it’s time for something new. The switch to GPT-4o hasn’t been entirely smooth. An early update made the model overly cheerful and, as Altman put it, “kind of annoying.” Users weren’t thrilled with its too-positive vibe, so OpenAI quickly dialed things back to make GPT-4o smarter, faster, and more natural.

While GPT-4 is gone from ChatGPT’s standard setup, developers and businesses can still use it through OpenAI’s API, so apps built on it won’t break. The move shows how fast OpenAI is pushing forward, especially with competitors like Google and Anthropic in the race. On X, fans and tech folks alike have been reflecting on GPT-4’s huge impact, from coding to creative projects.

Looking ahead, OpenAI is focused on making AI that feels helpful but real, avoiding the trap of sounding like an overeager assistant. Saying goodbye to GPT-4 feels like closing a major chapter in AI history, but GPT-4o is ready to write the next one, promising even better conversations and capabilities.