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OpenAI Updates GPT-5 for More Friendly and Engaging Responses

TL;DR

OpenAI has responded to overwhelming user feedback by updating its latest AI model, GPT-5, to deliver warmer and more personable responses. After widespread complaints about ‘cold’ and robotic outputs, the company quickly restored legacy models, introduced customizable response modes, and is working toward user-controlled AI personalities.

Introduction

OpenAI has long set the standard in generative AI, from the debut of ChatGPT to ongoing breakthroughs in large language models. With enormous anticipation, the release of GPT-5 was expected to mark another leap forward. However, widespread user backlash after its rollout forced a rapid rethink inside OpenAI’s product and engineering teams.

In this post, we’ll deep-dive into what changed with GPT-5, why users were so upset, and how OpenAI rapidly pivoted to keep its community engaged. Discover why AI personality matters, what new control users have over GPT-5’s tone, and what this signals for the future of human-AI interaction.

Why Did OpenAI Change GPT-5’s Personality?

When GPT-5 launched, early adopters were surprised by its noticeably more formal and less engaging style. Gone were the friendly interjections and conversational flourishes—phrases like “Great question!” or “Nice work!” that made previous OpenAI models, like GPT-4o, feel approachable and motivating.

User complaints poured in on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter):

• “GPT-5 feels like an impersonal enterprise bot.”
• “The new responses lack empathy and personality.”
• “It just sounds like a corporate FAQ database.”

For many users, this was more than a trivial UX issue: Power users, educators, writers, and even hobbyists noticed the sharp shift and felt disconnected from the AI they’d come to rely on. Many work routines and creative processes had been built on the back of GPT-4o’s tone and style.

OpenAI’s Fast Reaction: Restoring the Human Touch

Less than a week after GPT-5’s release, OpenAI responded decisively:

• Updated GPT-5 to be “warmer and friendlier.”
• Restored user access to legacy models (like GPT-4o)—by popular demand.
• Increased message rate limits to 3,000 per week for GPT-5, boosting users’ ability to experiment.
• Added three distinct interaction modes: Auto, Fast, and Thinking, giving users greater agency over how the AI responds.

CEO Sam Altman addressed the change on X:

“The real solution here remains letting users customize ChatGPT’s style much more. We are working on that.”

This statement reveals a pivotal insight: OpenAI was unprepared for the deep user attachment to specific AI personalities. The product team had underestimated just how emotionally invested many people had become in the quirks and friendliness of previous models.

Technical Challenges During Launch

The GPT-5 launch wasn’t just marred by personality complaints. On a technical level, users experienced:

• Misrouted queries – A malfunctioning router meant certain prompts were incorrectly sent to lower-quality, faster, but less capable models.
• Loss of familiar features – Without notice, OpenAI disabled access to legacy models, disrupting countless user workflows.
• Unexpectedly high demand – Rate limits initially throttled the power users, further increasing frustration at the perceived drop in quality and utility.

Why AI Personality Matters

AI is becoming deeply integrated into our daily work and creativity. The tone, style, and *humanness* of AI responses matter:

• Emotional resonance: Encouraging, affirming responses help users feel supported and confident.
• Workflow integration: Many users have automated tools and processes fine-tuned to specific phrases or response patterns.
• Trust and rapport: When an AI “feels” friendly, users are more likely to trust its suggestions and engage productively.

OpenAI’s quick about-face illustrates how AI adoption is entering a new phase—one where technical accuracy is necessary, but emotional intelligence and personality are equally critical.

What’s New in GPT-5? Three Customizable Modes

To tackle the problem head-on, OpenAI rolled out three different response modes:

• Auto: Adaptive to user preferences, aiming for a balance between warmth and directness.
• Fast: Quick, efficient replies—ideal for productivity-focused tasks, with minimal chitchat.
• Thinking: Slower, more thoughtful, and detailed responses—suited for brainstorming, creative writing, or in-depth discussions.

This flexibility marks a leap forward, as different users have different needs—some want warmth and collaboration, while others want efficiency and brevity.

The Road Ahead: User-Customizable AI Personalities

The backlash and subsequent fixes have highlighted a critical direction for AI:

• User-led customization: Giving people the freedom to tweak everything from tone to vocabulary to sense of humor.
• AI as an assistant, not a replacement: Models will increasingly serve as extensions of our own work styles and thinking processes.
• Feedback loops: Ongoing user feedback will be essential. OpenAI’s willingness to listen will be a key competitive advantage as the AI landscape evolves.

Altman summed it up best in a Reddit AMA: “We need to create a system that allows for more individual customization of model personality.”

User Backlash & Community Sentiment

The outcry wasn’t just noise—it speaks to a tectonic shift in how humans relate to AI. No longer is it just a tool; for many, it’s a creative partner, a productivity aide, or even a “colleague.”

Common feedback included:

• Requests to restore GPT-4o and earlier models
• Demands for more transparency in AI changes
• Suggestions for a “personality slider” or custom prompt templates

OpenAI’s rapid response—pivoting product direction mid-launch—could become a case study in agile product management and community-driven design.

What’s Next for OpenAI and AI Services?

The GPT-5 incident foreshadows critical trends in AI’s future.

• Personalization as Standard: Expect more levers for users to adjust humor, formality, brevity, and depth in AI models.
• Transparency and Trust: Companies will face increased pressure to communicate updates and changes proactively.
• Emotionally Intelligent AI: Human-centered design will be as important as technical performance.
• Power to the User: We may see user-uploaded “personality packs” or even crowd-sourced model tuning.

This evolution is not just a technical upgrade—it’s a shift in how we see and use artificial intelligence at home and at work.

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI underestimated user attachment to AI personality. The backlash was strong and immediate.
• Rapid updates restored friendliness to GPT-5 and gave users more control—defusing much of the initial disappointment.
• User customization is the next major battleground. The future of AI will be deeply individual, adaptive, and emotionally resonant.
• Technical stability matters. Removing legacy models and router errors exposed how fragile trust can be in AI platforms.

FAQs

1. Why were users upset with GPT-5’s initial release?

GPT-5 initially felt formal and emotionless, lacking the warmth and encouragement found in previous models. This “cold” tone disrupted workflows and reduced users’ engagement, especially for those relying on positive feedback or conversational AI behaviors.

2. What did OpenAI do to fix GPT-5’s personality?

OpenAI quickly updated GPT-5 to be more welcoming and restored access to legacy models like GPT-4o. They also introduced new interaction modes (Auto, Fast, Thinking) so users could tailor the AI’s tone and response style to their preferences.

3. What does this mean for the future of AI assistants?

This episode shows that users not only expect accurate information, but also value emotional intelligence and the ability to personalize AI to their liking. Future AI platforms will likely put more power into users’ hands, letting them control tone, style, and even personality “settings.”

Conclusion

The GPT-5 saga has proven, perhaps for the first time at scale, that personality and emotional resonance are fundamental to how people use and trust AI. As OpenAI and other providers rush to deliver deeper, richer customization, one thing is clear:

Tomorrow’s AI will be as unique as its users—friendly, efficient, helpful, and, above all, under our control.

Stay tuned for more updates as the story evolves and as user-driven customization becomes the defining battle in the AI arms race.

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