On Quality Decline

On the GPT-5 "Upgrade"

On Lost Personality

On Memory Issues

Cost Cutting

Running AI models is expensive. OpenAI may be reducing computational resources per query to save money, resulting in shorter, less thorough responses. Users have called it "AI shrinkflation."

Over-Moderation

Each update adds more safety guardrails. While some moderation is reasonable, users report the model now refuses harmless requests and hedges everything with excessive disclaimers.

Training on AI-Generated Content

As the internet fills with AI-generated text, models trained on this data may degrade over time. Researchers call this "model collapse" or "AI brain rot."

Prioritizing Speed Over Quality

Faster responses mean lower costs, but also less "thinking time" for the model. The result: quicker but dumber answers.

1. Try Alternatives

Claude (by Anthropic), Gemini (by Google), and others may work better for your use case. Many users report switching and never looking back. See our alternatives guide →

2. Use Specific Prompts

Be extremely explicit about what you want. Ask for "detailed" responses, specify word counts, and request that it "think step by step." It helps, but shouldn't be necessary.

3. Downgrade Your Subscription

If you're paying for Plus or Pro and not getting value, consider canceling. OpenAI listens to revenue more than complaints. How to cancel →

4. Document and Report Issues

Screenshot problems, post them on Reddit, and file complaints. The more documented evidence, the harder it is for OpenAI to deny the decline.