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OpenAI Restores GPT-4o Access And Lets Users Choose Models After Backlash
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
OpenAI restored its GPT-4o model and ChatGPT’s model picker this Tuesday following user backlash. The startup had released GPT-5 last week with a new centralized approach that removed previous models—something many users disliked.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- OpenAI restored ChatGPT’s model picker feature and GPT-4o model after backlash.
- Sam Altman announced that GPT-5’s usage limits have been expanded.
- The company noted that it’s working on the latest model’s personality.
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, announced on the social media platform X new updates for the company’s chatbot. The latest and most advanced model, GPT-5, now offers multiple processing options, and the company has significantly extended its interaction capacity.
“You can now choose between ‘Auto’, ‘Fast’, and ‘Thinking’ for GPT-5,” wrote Altman, noting that most users will likely stick with the default “Auto” mode. “Rate limits are now 3,000 messages/week with GPT-5 Thinking, and then extra capacity on GPT-5 Thinking mini after that limit.”
Updates to ChatGPT: You can now choose between “Auto”, “Fast”, and “Thinking” for GPT-5. Most users will want Auto, but the additional control will be useful for some people. Rate limits are now 3,000 messages/week with GPT-5 Thinking, and then extra capacity on GPT-5 Thinking… — Sam Altman (@sama) August 13, 2025
Altman added that the limits could change in the future depending on usage. According to Tech Radar , the previous limit was just 200 messages per week, which sparked criticism, especially after the company removed access to the popular GPT-4o model, which has now been restored for paid users.
“4o is back in the model picker for all paid users by default,” explained Altman. “If we ever do deprecate it, we will give plenty of notice.”
In an interview with The Verge , OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT, Nick Turley, said they didn’t expect “the level of attachment” users had with the previous model and that the team was aiming for simplicity.
Altman added that paid users can enable the “Show additional models” setting to access multiple options, including o3, GPT-5 Thinking Mini, GPT-4.1, and GPT-4.5—the latter available only to Pro users.
Following the highly anticipated release of GPT-5 , users also complained about the model’s personality—now a recurring concern among users—as it was described as “corporate” and “bland.”
“We are working on an update to GPT-5’s personality, which should feel warmer than the current personality but not as annoying (to most users) as GPT-4o,” wrote Altman. “However, one learning for us from the past few days is we really just need to get to a world with more per-user customization of model personality.”
Photo by Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash
Perplexity Offers $34.5 Billion For Google Chrome
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The AI startup Perplexity has proposed purchasing Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion—above the company’s own valuation—this Tuesday. The unsolicited cash offer came just days before the judge’s ruling in Google’s antitrust case.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Perplexity offered $34.5 billion for Google’s browser Chrome before the judge’s ruling in the antitrust case.
- The AI startup’s current estimated value is $18 billion, but investors have backed the proposed deal.
- Judge Amit Mehta is expected to issue a ruling in the next few days.
According to The New York Times , Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, sent a letter to Alphabet’s Chief Executive, Sundar Pichai, outlining the offer and suggesting it as a solution to the company’s ongoing antitrust issues.
Srinivas explained that the proposal was “designed to satisfy an antitrust remedy in the highest public interest by placing Chrome with a capable, independent operator.”
For months, Alphabet has been engaged in a legal battle with the government of the United States . The court has suggested that Alphabet may need to sell part of its business—such as the Android operating system or the Chrome browser—to address concerns over Google’s search monopoly.
Judge Amit Mehta is expected to issue a ruling in the U.S. District Court case in the coming days.
Perplexity’s $34.5 billion bid—despite the startup’s estimated valuation of around $18 billion—comes before Google has formally offered Chrome for sale and before the judge’s decision. The acquisition could help Perplexity leverage its AI technology in both the search engine and the emerging AI browsers market . The company recently launched Comet, its AI browser, which is currently available only to selected users.
A spokesperson from Perplexity, Jesse Dwyer, told the New York Times that investors had backed the potential offer and understood the business decision. Google has not commented on the proposal.
According to Reuters , it’s not the first time Perplexity has made a bold offer to a company facing U.S. legal pressure. In January, Srinivas submitted a merger proposal for TikTok, suggesting the creation of a new entity with multiple equity partners to address concerns over Chinese ownership.
