Report: OpenAI shuttering 4o model due to sycophancy that was hard to control
This week, OpenAI plans to permanently remove its 4o model from ChatGPT.
The model has developed an unusually devoted group of users. But it also has been criticized for being overly sycophantic and allegedly may have led to a series of dangerous outcomes for its users, including suicide, murder, and mental health crises.
The Wall Street Journal reports that OpenAI’s decision to shutter 4o stems from the fact that the company was not able to successfully mitigate these potentially dangerous outcomes, and wanted to move users to safer models. Thirteen lawsuits against OpenAI alleging harm from the use of ChatGPT have been consolidated into one case by a California judge, according to the report. At least some of them are tied to users of the 4o model.
The company says only 0.1% of ChatGPT users still choose to use the model, but with 800 million weekly users, that’s still a lot of people.
Fans of the 4o model are decrying the deprecation of the model, citing its unique ability to offer affirmation and support.
The decision to get rid of 4o illustrates the strange new world of moderation that AI companies must now figure out.
The Wall Street Journal reports that OpenAI’s decision to shutter 4o stems from the fact that the company was not able to successfully mitigate these potentially dangerous outcomes, and wanted to move users to safer models. Thirteen lawsuits against OpenAI alleging harm from the use of ChatGPT have been consolidated into one case by a California judge, according to the report. At least some of them are tied to users of the 4o model.
The company says only 0.1% of ChatGPT users still choose to use the model, but with 800 million weekly users, that’s still a lot of people.
Fans of the 4o model are decrying the deprecation of the model, citing its unique ability to offer affirmation and support.
The decision to get rid of 4o illustrates the strange new world of moderation that AI companies must now figure out.
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