OpenAI has announced plans to discontinue support for several artificial intelligence models, including GPT-4o, in its widely used chatbot ChatGPT next month. This was reported by CNBC.

It is noted that the AI startup launched GPT-4o in May 2024, and its 'friendly communication style' gained significant popularity among some paid users.

The company faced backlash from users last August when it briefly removed access to GPT-4o following the release of the new GPT-5 model.

OpenAI quickly restored access to GPT-4o for paid users, and CEO Sam Altman promised to 'provide advance notice' if the company ever decides to discontinue support for the model.

'We understand that losing access to GPT-4o will be disappointing for some users, and we did not make this decision lightly. Discontinuing support for models is never an easy choice, but it allows us to focus on improving the models that most people are using today,' OpenAI stated in its blog.

The company revealed that only 0.1% of users utilize the GPT-4o model daily, and that the 'vast majority' are already using the GPT-5.2 model.

Besides GPT-4o, OpenAI also announced that GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini will be disabled in ChatGPT.

OpenAI plans to begin testing advertising in ChatGPT in the coming weeks.