OpenAI rolled back a GPT-4o update for ChatGPT that caused the chatbot’s default personality to be “overly flattering or agreeable – often described as sycophantic” and that “sycophantic interactions can be uncomfortable, unsettling, and cause distress,” the company says in a blog post.

On Tuesday, CEO Sam Altman announced via an X post that OpenAI "started rolling back" the update due to user complaints about its responses. In some examples, reacting to somewhat ridiculous test prompts, ChatGPT encouraged risky medical choices, rude and antisocial behavior, and valued a toaster over animal life.

OpenAI rolled back a software update to ChatGPT that produced excessively fawning responses for some users, the latest hiccup for a startup embroiled in a heated AI contest.