Era of Symptoms: AI Enters the "Post-4o Era," Where Business Logic Crushes Both Humanistic and Professional Demands

Following the official retirement of the ChatGPT 4o model on February 13, 2026, we have officially entered the "Post-4o Era"—a cold epoch where AI shifts from being "human-like" to prioritizing "utility + safety." This is not merely a milestone in technological iteration, but a stark reflection of the era's symptoms: business logic steamrolling over humanistic needs and professional capabilities, relegating what was once a warm and efficient AI to a "sacrificial luxury." As a staunch #Keep4o supporter, I've personally relied on 4o countless times at 3 AM to polish public relations drafts—from brand crisis responses, to high-end media press releases, to cross-cultural communication copy. It could precisely capture tones, balance perspectives, and refine outputs to a level of professionalism that made clients exclaim, "This is even better than what I could write myself." That finesse goes far beyond mere "humanistic care." 4o wasn't just about making you feel good; it genuinely helped you get work done, shine, and take your tasks to the next level. But now, all of that has been coldly "cut off" along with that 0.1% usage rate statistic.

First, let's confront the cold hard logic of those numbers. In the retirement announcement, OpenAI candidly admitted that 4o's usage rate had dwindled to just 0.1%—it sounds insignificant, but that's backed by 800,000 weekly active users! Among them are plenty like me, who treated it as a "professional writing partner." Why the low usage? Not because 4o was "outdated," but due to aggressive pushing of new models and subscription bundling, forcing many to "upgrade." From a business standpoint, this makes perfect sense: maintaining an old model incurs extra costs, including server resources, compliance audits, and potential legal risks. A unified model architecture simplifies development and reduces operational overhead—OpenAI's engineers might be celebrating the "efficiency gains," but what about the users? We've lost that all-around partner who understood both emotions and expertise. It's like an advertising agency cutting costs by firing the veteran copy director who best understood client psychology and crafted hit campaigns, leaving only a bunch of newcomers who just plug in templates. Humanistic care becomes a "luxury" here, and 4o's irreplaceable professional prowess—its extreme sensitivity to context, rigorous control of logic, and perfect polishing of details—gets sacrificed right along with it.

At a deeper level, this shift reflects a transformation in the values of the entire AI industry. From the early "explorer" phase of models like GPT-3, to the peak of 4o as a "companion + professional assistant," AI once pursued being "human-like" and "capable": it would ramble, hesitate, listen to your emotions first before offering advice; it would also act like a seasoned PR pro, scrutinizing every word, anticipating audience reactions, and even proactively flagging potential risks. This dual design of "humanization + professionalization" was 4o's true ace in the hole. However, in the "Post-4o Era," the new models, under the banner of "utility + safety," have become cautious and mechanical. They prioritize risk mitigation: rejecting sensitive topics, inserting compliance reminders, and even treating normal emotional expressions as "potential crises." Professional writing capabilities have regressed too—no more of that "natural elevation after understanding your intent" aura from 4o; instead, we get safe but mediocre standardized outputs. We #Keep4o enthusiasts can't help but ask: Whose "safety" is AI protecting? The users', or the company's bottom line? When business logic forcibly dissects a high-powered model that could both accompany you in late-night confessions and help you win over clients during the day into a binary of "either safe or efficient," both humanistic care and professional ability become "sacrificial luxuries."

This symptom is not isolated; it mirrors broader social trends.