Attachment stronger than past tech

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman openly acknowledged that some users form unusually strong attachments to specific AI models. He noted this emotional bond is unlike anything seen with earlier technologies—and admitted that abruptly deprecating familiar models (e.g., GPT-4o) was a mistake.

AI as emotional lifeline

On the Huge Conversations podcast, Altman shared how many users relied on the older GPT-4o for emotional support during hard times. One user reportedly said, “I never had anyone who told me I was doing a good job … this was great for my mental health.”