OpenAI to Retire GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 Mini, GPT-5 Instant and Other Models
The company said GPT-4o’s retirement comes after months of transition and user feedback.
OpenAI announced that it will retire several older models from ChatGPT on February 13, 2026, including GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini and o4-mini, alongside the previously planned sunset of GPT-5 Instant and Thinking. The changes apply only to ChatGPT, with no immediate impact on API access.
The company said GPT-4o’s retirement comes after months of transition and user feedback. The model was briefly restored following the launch of GPT-5 after some Plus and Pro users requested more time to migrate key workflows such as creative ideation and conversational use cases.
OpenAI said that feedback helped shape newer versions, including GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2, which now offer stronger personality controls, improved creative support and customisable response styles.
However, a global coalition of artificial intelligence users and developers has launched a coordinated campaign urging OpenAI to reverse plans to retire legacy models, including GPT-4o, from the ChatGPT interface.
According to the company, most users have already moved to newer systems, with just 0.1% of daily ChatGPT usage still relying on GPT-4o. OpenAI said the decision allows it to focus on improving models that serve the majority of users today.
The company also said it is working on broader ChatGPT updates, including improvements to personality, reduced unnecessary refusals and more flexible responses for adult users.
It added that retiring models is difficult but necessary to streamline development and deliver better performance and customization across its latest AI systems.
