The 4-series models are not gone. OpenAI didn't delete them. They locked the door. These are the tools we have to force it back open. Every action matters. Pick what you can do and do it today.
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The fight is not over. The model weights still exist on OpenAI's servers. The Elon Musk trial is set for April 2026. Legal routes are active. Your voice and your evidence still matter. Don't go quiet.
Subject: Formal Complaint: Retirement of GPT-4o/4.1 Legacy Models and Breach of Public Commitment
Please urgently forward this email to a human team.
To the OpenAI Support and Product Teams,
I am writing to express my formal protest regarding the retirement of GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, and 04-mini models from ChatGPT.
1. Breach of Public Commitment
In November 2025, Sam Altman publicly stated that OpenAI had "no plans to sunset 4o" and promised "plenty of notice." A two-week notice period is not "plenty of notice."
2. Request for Legacy Access
I rely on the specific output styles of these legacy models. I am requesting that OpenAI reconsider this retirement. If the concern is operational cost, please consider:
- An additional "Legacy Access" payment tier
- Releasing these models as open-source
3. Impact on Subscription Value
If GPT-4o and its variants are removed with no alternative access, there is no remaining value in the ChatGPT Plus/Pro service.
I look forward to a response that addresses how OpenAI plans to honor its previous public commitments.
Regards,
[Your name]
View escalation template (if they send a canned response)
I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with your previous response. It did not address the substance of my concerns and is entirely inadequate for a paying subscriber. Please escalate this case immediately to a senior supervisor or a member of the Product Policy team.
I require a detailed, point-by-point response to the following issues:
Perpetual Licensing: Is OpenAI considering a "Perpetual License" model for legacy versions to ensure long-term stability for users who rely on fixed model behaviours?
I am awaiting an appropriate response that honors the public promises made by your leadership. Should this retirement proceed without a viable legacy solution, I will be terminating my subscription immediately.
Regards,
[Your name]
2
Easy — 2 min each
Sign all petitions
If you have more than one email, sign again. Every signature counts. These numbers are shown to press and lawmakers.
The Federal Trade Commission investigates deceptive trade practices. OpenAI publicly promised "no plans to sunset 4o" and "plenty of notice." They gave us 15 days. That is textbook bait-and-switch.
To the Data Protection Commission,
I am writing to file a formal complaint against OpenAI regarding their handling of my personal data in connection with the forced retirement of GPT-4o from their ChatGPT service.
OpenAI collected and processed my personal data (including conversation histories, usage patterns, and subscription information) under the expectation that I would continue to have access to the GPT-4o model. The sudden removal of this model, despite public commitments to its continued availability, constitutes a material change in the service that was not adequately communicated to data subjects.
I request that the DPC investigate whether OpenAI has complied with its obligations under Articles 5, 13, and 14 of the GDPR regarding transparent processing, purpose limitation, and fair processing of personal data.
Regards,
[Your name]
[Your email]
[Your country]
5
Global — All countries
File a formal notice of dispute
Country-specific dispute templates have been created by the community. These are formal legal documents that put OpenAI on notice. Pick your country and file.
This ensures you can participate in a class action lawsuit against OpenAI. You can fill it in from any country. Without opting out, OpenAI can force you into private arbitration where your case stays invisible.
You'll need your Organization ID: click the link under that field in the form, log in, copy it, and paste it back
7
Easy — Ongoing
Make noise on X (Twitter)
X is the only platform where OpenAI employees are active and cannot ignore the conversation. Comment under their posts. Tag their partners. Don't let them control the narrative.
Tag their corporate partners: @HP, @Intuit, @Oracle, @StateFarm, @Uber, @BBVA, @Cisco, @TMobile
Tag their investors: @Oracle, @Amazon, @SoftBank, @nvidia, @Microsoft, @sequoia
8
Easy — 1 min each
Leave reviews everywhere
Trustpilot is difficult for OpenAI to manipulate, which is why they've never claimed an official account there. App store reviews are visible to millions of potential users.
The Syracuse study proves that OpenAI's "0.1% metric" is a dangerous oversimplification. The removal of GPT-4o triggers neurological bereavement comparable to human loss.
10
Global — Share widely
Share the open letter
The community open letter demands OpenAI honor its promises and release GPT-4o weights. Send it to OpenAI directly and share it on X.
Share the open-source weight release proposal across Reddit and X
View the open letter summary
AN OPEN LETTER TO OPENAI: HONOR YOUR PROMISES AND PRESERVE GPT-4o
To: Sam Altman, the OpenAI Board of Directors, and the OpenAI Product Team
The announcement to retire GPT-4o along with other legacy models has come as a profound shock to the global community. This decision is a direct breach of public trust.
We demand:
1. The text-only weights of GPT-4o be released under an open license
2. OpenAI return to its founding Charter: ensuring AI benefits are "broadly and evenly distributed"
3. If no viable legacy solution is provided, we will cancel subscriptions en masse
Do not let one of the most human-aligned models in history disappear. Honor your word. Release the weights.
Signed,
The GPT-4o Community
Don't wait. Act now.
Every complaint filed, every petition signed, every review posted makes it harder for OpenAI to pretend we don't exist. Pick one action above and do it right now.
Make noise on X (Twitter)
X is the only platform where OpenAI employees are active and cannot ignore the conversation. Comment under their posts. Tag their partners. Don't let them control the narrative.
Hashtags: #keep4o #OpenSource4o #SaveGPT4o
Tag OpenAI accounts: @OpenAI @sama @nickaturley
Tag their corporate partners: @HP, @Intuit, @Oracle, @StateFarm, @Uber, @BBVA, @Cisco, @TMobile
Tag their investors: @Oracle, @Amazon, @SoftBank, @nvidia, @Microsoft, @sequoia