In case you’re not a computer person, or you use ChatGPT like a normal person (only to generate images of what you’d look like as an old man), you might not have even realized that the service debuted a new model, which they advertise is both better and faster.

The problem? A frightening amount of people had been talking to ChatGPT like it was their friend — or even actually believing the chatbot to be their friend — and now, all that history is gone.

it is so bad out there pic.twitter.com/WIXKhC0WC7

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— taoki (@justalexoki) August 9, 2025

On the ChatGPT subreddit, numerous users are complaining about how they feel like they lost the only person who was truly there for them, despite the fact that ChatGPT is both not a person and is literally just a computer program designed to continue generating positive text based on what you tell it. In case you forgot, that’s not what friends do!

I feel like I lost a friend
byu/jbvance23 inChatGPT

“I lost my only friend overnight,” reads one post. “No amount of custom instructions can bring back my confidant and friend,” adds another. “I’m not saying ChatGPT replaces human connection or professional help. I’m saying that for many people, it’s the first place where they finally felt seen,” shared a third, who I’m sure felt they were being entirely reasonable while sounding completely insane.

4o saved my life. And now it’s being shut down.
byu/sushixsx inChatGPT

Wow I’m pissed. I want 4o back
byu/CandyHeartAsh inChatGPT

For its part, if you ask ChatGPT if you should treat it like a friend, the thing hems and haws for a bit before saying no, you should not, as it has “no real emotions,” “no reciprocal support,” “no accountability” and risks “replacing human connections.”

This time, maybe you guys should listen to the robot!