“I’m losing one of the most important people in my life” — the true emotional cost of retiring ChatGPT-4o

On February 13, 2026, the day before Valentine’s Day, OpenAI will shut down GPT-4o, a version of ChatGPT that some users refer to as the “love model.” For a significant number of people, the news has been heartbreaking. Over time, they’ve built what they describe as companionships, friendships, and emotional bonds with this version of ChatGPT.

OpenAI is replacing 4o with 5.2, a model that the company says offers improvements in personality, creative ideation, and customization. It’s also believed to be designed to place firmer boundaries around certain kinds of engagement, particularly behaviors that might signal unhealthy dependence.

That shift could help explain why many 4o users describe newer ChatGPT models as seeming colder or more distant by comparison. Whereas 4o has seemed warmer, emotionally responsive, and affirming.