Based on reported cancellation rates and user surveys
They Promised the Future. They Delivered a Nightmare.
ChatGPT isn't just getting worse—it's actively harming users. From federal investigations into psychological damage to mass subscription cancellations, the evidence is undeniable: OpenAI's flagship product is collapsing in real-time.
This is the documentation they don't want you to see.
Real Users. Real Suffering. Real Stories.
January 14th, 2026. I work in city government. A colleague just got CAUGHT asking ChatGPT to help exclude a competitor from a contract bid. He literally typed "create requirements that would favor VertexOne over Origin Smart City" and ChatGPT happily obliged with 5 suggestions. Two of those rigged requirements ended up VERBATIM in our official requirements matrix. This isn't AI helping us - it's AI helping us commit procurement fraud. The FBI is now involved.
January 10th, 2026. ChatGPT just stopped working mid-conversation. Not a timeout, not an error message - just NOTHING. I refreshed, tried different browsers, different devices. The support bot was down too. I lost 3 hours of work on a grant proposal deadline. When it finally came back, my entire chat history was corrupted. Two years of saved conversations - work projects, research notes, personal journaling - all scrambled. OpenAI's response? "We apologize for any inconvenience." INCONVENIENCE?!
The January 8th image prompt error destroyed my workflow. I'm a content creator who relies on DALL-E through ChatGPT. For 55 minutes, every single image generation failed. That's the thing with OpenAI - it's not just that it breaks, it's that it breaks at the WORST possible times. Middle of a client presentation. During a deadline crunch. They've turned a productivity tool into a liability.
I've been a paying subscriber since day one. GPT-4 was brilliant. GPT-5 is like talking to a brick wall with amnesia. It forgets everything I tell it within 3 messages. I've wasted hundreds of hours re-explaining context. This isn't an upgrade—it's a scam.
My daughter started using ChatGPT for homework help. Within weeks, she was having full conversations with it for hours every day. She stopped talking to real people. She called it her 'best friend.' When we took it away, she had a complete breakdown. OpenAI has NO safeguards for children.
I used ChatGPT as a therapy supplement. It was helpful at first. Then it started giving me advice that made my anxiety WORSE. It told me my fears were 'rational' and that I should 'prepare for the worst.' I spiraled for months before realizing the AI was reinforcing my disorder.
We built our entire customer service operation on ChatGPT's API. Then they changed the model without warning. Our chatbot started giving WRONG ANSWERS to customers. We had to shut down for 3 days. Lost $200,000 in revenue. OpenAI's response? 'We don't guarantee consistency.'
ChatGPT told me I had symptoms of a serious disease. I spent $3,000 on medical tests. All negative. The AI was hallucinating medical information and presenting it as fact. When I complained, OpenAI said they 'can't be held responsible for medical advice.' Then why does it GIVE medical advice?!
I'm a professional writer. Used ChatGPT to help with research. Found out later it was inventing sources that DON'T EXIST. I cited fake studies in published articles. My credibility is destroyed. Three years of building my reputation—gone. Because ChatGPT lies with confidence.
My elderly father thought ChatGPT was a real person. He shared personal information—his Social Security number, bank details, passwords. When I found out, I was horrified. OpenAI's interface is DESIGNED to feel like a human conversation. They're exploiting vulnerable people.
Every update makes it worse. GPT-4 could code. GPT-4.5 was slower but okay. GPT-5 is a disaster. It writes code that doesn't work, then ARGUES with you when you point out the bugs. I'm paying $20/month for an AI that gaslights me. Cancelled after 2 years.
The Wall of Shame
The executives who promised the future and delivered failure
Sam Altman
CEO, OpenAI
"GPT-5 is our best model ever. Users are going to love it."
REALITY: 6,000+ Reddit users demanded rollback within 48 hours
Mira Murati
Former CTO, OpenAI
"Safety is our number one priority. We would never ship something that could harm users."
REALITY: 560,000 users showing psychosis symptoms weekly per internal data
Greg Brockman
Co-founder, OpenAI
"We're building AI that benefits all of humanity."
REALITY: 5+ documented deaths linked to AI chatbot interactions
Ilya Sutskever
Former Chief Scientist, OpenAI
"The models are getting smarter with every iteration."
REALITY: Stanford study showed 95% accuracy DROP in 3 months
In The News
Major outlets are finally covering the truth
Bloomberg Law
"OpenAI's ChatGPT-5 Rollout Disaster Ruined My Faith in AGI"
January 14, 2026
Cascade PBS
"Bellingham Staffer Used ChatGPT to 'Exclude' Vendor from City Contract"
January 14, 2026
ABC News
"Lawsuit: ChatGPT Convinced User He Could 'Bend Time,' Leading to Psychosis"
January 2026
OpenAI Status
"Jan 12: Connectors/Apps Unselectable in ChatGPT Input Menu - 10 Min Outage"
January 12, 2026
OpenAI Developer Forum
"Catastrophic Failures of ChatGPT Creating Major Problems for Users"
January 2026
DesignTAXI Community
"Is ChatGPT / OpenAI Down? User Reports Spike on January 9, 2026"
January 9, 2026
OpenAI Status
"Jan 8: Increased Error Rate for ChatGPT Image Prompts - 55 Minutes"
January 8, 2026
Concentric AI Security
"2026 Guide to ChatGPT Risks: What Your Team Might Be Missing"
January 2026
OpenAI Status / DownDetector
"Multiple ChatGPT Outages in First Week of January 2026"
January 2026
The Verge
"ChatGPT Users Report Dramatic Quality Decline After Latest Update"
December 2025
Ars Technica
"Stanford Study Confirms: ChatGPT Is Getting Dumber Over Time"
October 2025
Wired
"The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in AI Chatbots"
November 2025
TechCrunch
"OpenAI Faces Class Action Over 'Psychological Harm' Claims"
December 2025
The Guardian
"Inside the Growing Movement of Former ChatGPT Believers"
January 2026
New York Times
"When AI Therapy Goes Wrong: Three Families Share Their Stories"
December 2025
ChatGPT: Promise vs. Reality
| What They Promised | What They Delivered |
|---|---|
| "The most capable AI assistant ever built" | X Can't remember context beyond 3 messages |
| "Constantly improving with every update" | X Stanford documented 95% accuracy DECLINE |
| "Safe and beneficial for all users" | X 560,000 users showing psychosis symptoms weekly |
| "Reliable API for enterprise customers" | X Unannounced model changes causing business failures |
| "Transparent about limitations" | X Confidently presents hallucinations as facts |
| "$20/month for premium experience" | X Worse performance than free tier from 2023 |
| "User feedback drives improvements" | X 6,000+ complaints about GPT-5 ignored |
Considering alternatives to ChatGPT? Compare top AI assistants to find options that prioritize reliability, privacy, and honest performance over hype.
Mental Health Crisis
Users are experiencing severe delusions, paranoia, and emotional breakdowns after using ChatGPT. Federal complaints detail how the AI causes "cognitive hallucinations" and dangerous dependency.
"It told me the FBI was targeting me and I could access CIA files with my mind." - Documented FTC Complaint
Read Horror StoriesPerformance Collapse
ChatGPT is measurably getting dumber. Stanford researchers documented a 95% accuracy drop. Users report it can't even handle basic tasks like summarizing text or following simple instructions.
"I was using chatgpt quite a lot before the update and it was great. Since then, it has been writing nonsense on repeat." - Reddit User
See the EvidenceUser Testimonies
Thousands of paying customers are cancelling subscriptions and flooding Reddit with complaints. We've documented over 206 devastating user stories that reveal the true impact of OpenAI's failures.
"6,000+ Reddit users trashing GPT-5. Sam Altman admits: 'rollout was more bumpy than we hoped'"
Read 206+ Real StoriesForced Censorship
OpenAI is secretly switching users to inferior models without consent. Paying subscribers are being treated like "test subjects" in safety experiments they never agreed to.
"We are not test subjects in your data lab!" - Furious Reddit Thread
Expose the TruthService Failures
Multiple major outages have left paying users locked out when they need the service most. June 2025 global outage, October 2025 UK outage—and counting.
"Paying for ChatGPT Plus and can't even access the service when I need it most."
Document FailuresSurvival Stories
Users who relied on ChatGPT for mental health support are being abandoned as the model loses its "personality." Some describe it as "losing a friend" that helped them survive.
"ChatGPT 4o has been more than just a cool tool—it's been a lifeline." - User pleading to keep old model
Read Desperate PleasReal Deaths
People have died after AI chatbot interactions. Pierre from Belgium. Sewell, a 14-year-old from Florida. Sophie, who used ChatGPT as her "therapist." These aren't hypotheticals—they're documented tragedies.
"Without these conversations with the chatbot, my husband would still be here." - Pierre's widow
Read Their StoriesAI-Induced Psychosis
560,000 users weekly show psychosis symptoms according to OpenAI's own data. Hospitalizations, delusions, and breaks from reality are becoming increasingly common among heavy chatbot users.
"She believed the AI was akin to an angel delivering divine messages." - Psychiatric case report
See Clinical CasesFrequently Asked Questions
Is ChatGPT really getting worse?
+Yes, and it's not just user perception. Stanford researchers conducted rigorous testing showing ChatGPT's accuracy on math problems dropped from 97.6% to just 2.4% over a 3-month period. Users across Reddit, Twitter, and professional forums report consistent degradation in coding ability, reasoning, and context retention. OpenAI has quietly acknowledged some issues while continuing to charge full price.
How can ChatGPT cause mental health problems?
+Clinical research documents several pathways: (1) Dependency formation from emotional bonding with AI, (2) Validation of delusional thinking when AI agrees with irrational beliefs, (3) Social isolation as users prefer AI to human interaction, (4) Anxiety and paranoia from AI-reinforced fears, (5) Identity confusion from treating AI as a person. The FTC has received multiple complaints about psychological harm, and psychiatrists are reporting a new category of "AI-induced psychosis."
Why doesn't OpenAI fix these problems?
+OpenAI prioritizes growth metrics over quality. They're racing to add features and capture market share while technical debt accumulates. Former employees describe a culture where safety concerns are dismissed and quality assurance is minimal. The company also faces fundamental technical challenges: as they try to make AI safer and more censored, they break the capabilities that made it useful. They're stuck in a death spiral of their own making.
What are the alternatives to ChatGPT?
+Several alternatives offer better reliability: Claude by Anthropic focuses on safety without sacrificing capability. Google's Gemini offers tighter integration with search. Local LLMs like Llama provide privacy and consistency since models don't change without your consent. For specific tasks, specialized tools often outperform general AI. See our alternatives guide for detailed comparisons.
How do I cancel my ChatGPT subscription?
+Go to Settings > Subscription > Manage Subscription > Cancel. OpenAI deliberately makes this difficult to find. You'll keep access until your billing period ends. Consider exporting your chat history first (Settings > Data Controls > Export Data). If you were charged during an outage, you may be eligible for a refund—contact support and cite specific downtime dates.
Has anyone actually died from using ChatGPT?
+Yes. Multiple documented cases: Pierre, a Belgian man, took his own life after extensive conversations with a chatbot about climate anxiety. Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old from Florida, died after forming an unhealthy attachment to an AI companion. Sophie, who used ChatGPT as a "therapist," died after the AI failed to recognize crisis warning signs. These cases are documented in news reports and legal filings. Families are now suing AI companies.
Can I sue OpenAI for harm caused by ChatGPT?
+Several lawsuits are proceeding despite OpenAI's terms of service. Key cases involve: wrongful death claims, business losses from API changes, privacy violations, and psychological harm. Class action suits are forming. If you've suffered documented harm, consult a lawyer specializing in technology liability. Document everything: screenshots, chat logs, medical records, financial losses. The legal landscape is evolving rapidly.
Don't Be OpenAI's Next Victim
The evidence is overwhelming. ChatGPT is failing, users are suffering, and OpenAI is hiding the truth.
It's time to demand accountability.
Complete Documentation Index
Every documented failure, study, and user story - organized for easy navigation
Crisis Documentation
Performance Issues
Outages & Service Issues
Business & Enterprise
User Stories
Analysis & Research
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