GPT-4o and older LLMs restored for paid ChatGPT users as OpenAI plans a GPT-5 personality upgrade

• August 13, 2025

• Paid ChatGPT users are getting access to a bunch of older models
• Altman teases an upgrade to ChatGPT-5’s personality is coming
• The new “warmer” upgrade is to counter the backlash to GPT-5

In his latest tweet on the social media platform X, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has confirmed that all paid ChatGPT subscribers will be getting access to not only the old GPT-4o model, but also older LLMs like o3, 4.1.

The popular ChatGPT-4.5 will also be coming back, but it will only be available to Pro subscribers. Altman says this is because “it costs a lot of GPUs”, a reference to the amount of compute power that it requires.

In the wake of the backlash against the removal of the popular 4o model with absolutely no warning when GPT-5 was released, Altman seems to have learned a lesson and has promised, “If we ever do deprecate it, we will give plenty of notice.”

All paid users of ChatGPT should now find a ‘Show additional models’ toggle in the ChatGPT web settings, which will give you access to all the older LLM models. You’ll also be able to add a new GPT-5 Thinking mini model.

Altman also makes reference to the highly criticized ‘colder’ tone of the new ChatGPT-5, which has alienated many users in the tweet: “We are working on an update to GPT-5’s personality which should feel warmer than the current personality, but not as annoying (to most users) as GPT-4o”.

His reference to ChatGPT-4o being annoying refers to the sycophantic phase that GPT-4o seemed to enter after an upgrade back in April.

Altman continues, ”However, one learning for us from the past few days is we really just need to get to a world with more per-user customization of model personality.”

Multiple personalities

Altman’s reference to “per-user customization” reflects OpenAI’s recognition that what its users want is an easier way to select how formal, humorous, empathetic, or direct the assistant is.

Altman endured a recent AMA chat on Reddit where he got to listen to users’ complaints firsthand. It seems to be GPT-5’s lack of a personality that has most angered ChatGPT users, who had gotten used to building quite a rapport with GPT-4o.

If I were given free rein to imagine how I’d like ChatGPT to work, I’d like to get to the stage where ChatGPT’s personality traits could be represented via sliders, like ‘professional vs. casual’ or ‘concise vs. detailed’. That would make it far easier to get the results you are looking for.

While CustomGPTs already exist, I’d love it if it were possible to easily switch between personality types, like ‘Work Assistant’ or ‘Creative Writing Coach’. However, I get the feeling it will be a long time yet before we get such an easily customizable AI chatbot to talk to.

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Paid ChatGPT users are getting access to a bunch of older models Altman teases an upgrade to ChatGPT-5’s personality is coming The new “warmer” upgrade is to counter the backlash to GPT-5 In his latest tweet on the social media platform X, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has confirmed that…