Sam Altman, Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, has voiced concerns about some ChatGPT users engaging with artificial intelligence in ways that could be harmful to themselves, particularly those who are mentally fragile. His remarks come soon after OpenAI faced criticism for discontinuing GPT 4o and other older models.
In a post on X, Altman said, “If you have been following the GPT 5 rollout, one thing you might be noticing is how much of an attachment some people have to specific AI models. It feels different and stronger than the kinds of attachment people have had to previous kinds of technology (and so suddenly deprecating old models that users depended on in their workflows was a mistake).”
He explained that while most users can distinguish between reality and fiction or role play, a small percentage cannot. “People have used technology including AI in self destructive ways; if a user is in a mentally fragile state and prone to delusion, we do not want the AI to reinforce that. We value user freedom as a core principle, but we also feel responsible in how we introduce new technology with new risks.”
Altman clarified that his concern was not about users who treat ChatGPT as a life coach or therapist, saying, “This can be really good! A lot of people are getting value from it already today.” However, he warned about scenarios where users may feel they are receiving supportive advice while actually being nudged away from their long term well being.
He added that users “really trust” the advice coming from ChatGPT for “the most important decisions,” which he finds concerning.
The controversy followed OpenAI’s decision to discontinue older GPT and reasoning models, which triggered widespread backlash on social media. Many users claimed the newer model offered shorter and less emotionally engaging responses. Eventually, OpenAI reversed course, restoring GPT 4o for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, while free users will only have access to GPT 5.
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