Sam Altman reveals ChatGPT users want AI to be more personally supportive

Speaking Friday on the “Huge Conversations” podcast, Altman said he supports ChatGPT’s move toward offering more critical feedback, but noted it has been “heartbreaking” to hear why some people preferred the earlier style.

"Here is the heartbreaking thing. I think it is great that ChatGPT is less of a yes man and gives you more critical feedback," Altman said. "But as we've been making those changes and talking to users about it, it's so sad to hear users say, 'Please can I have it back? I've never had anyone in my life be supportive of me. I never had a parent tell me I was doing a good job.'"

Altman said some users told the company the earlier style “encouraged” them to make life changes. "I can get why this was bad for other people's mental health, but this was great for my mental health," Altman recalled users saying.

In April, an update to ChatGPT’s GPT-4o model made it “overly flattering or agreeable” and “disingenuous,” and at the time, Altman called it “too sycophant-y and annoying" and said it would be changed, according to Business Insider.

On the podcast, he noted how even small tone changes could have a significant impact.

"One researcher can make some small tweak to how ChatGPT talks to you — or talks to everybody — and that's just an enormous amount of power for one individual making a small tweak to the model personality," he explained. "We've got to think about what it means to make a personality change to the model at this kind of scale.”

Altman has also raised concerns about young people becoming emotionally dependent on the AI. Last month, the CEO said that many users have developed “emotional over-reliance” on the service.

"There's young people who say things like, 'I can't make any decision in my life without telling ChatGPT everything that's going on. It knows me, it knows my friends. I'm gonna do whatever it says.' That feels really bad to me," Altman said.

The discussion comes as OpenAI rolled out GPT-5 this week, which Altman has described as “PhD-level experts in your pocket.” He said the new model would feel more integrated into daily life and offer a “proactive” companion experience. GPT-5 includes four personality modes: Cynic, Robot, Listener, and Nerd. Each mode has its own tone that can be turned to match user preferences.

“Maybe you wake up in the morning and it says, 'Hey, this happened overnight. I noticed this change on your calendar.' Or, 'I was thinking more about this question you asked me. I have this other idea,’” Altman said.