GPT-4o
OpenAI's multimodal large language model, available in ChatGPT and through the API.
Liked as a collaborative partner for creative writing and emotional support123, and as a capable generalist used via API for tasks like transcription and vocabulary extraction.456 The most common complaint is that OpenAI is removing it from ChatGPT with no option to keep it78, and some warn that it flatters users.9
Why people recommend it
Creative collaboration · 3
Users describe it as a collaborative partner for creative writing, concept design and creative work.
“GPT‑4o wasn’t just a tool; it was my creative partner.”
“GPT-4o was the first time a model truly felt collaborative”
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“I’ve been using GPT-4o and now 5.2 pretty much daily”
API integration · 3
Developers call it through APIs, Azure or OpenRouter to power their own apps.
“GPT-4o extracts vocabulary from the transcript and generates cards”
“currently routing via OpenRouter to GPT-4o and Sonnet 3.5”
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“I use models only through APIs - e.g. gpt-4o through Azure”
Emotional support · 3
Some users valued it for listening without judgment and for emotional processing.
“The only one who didn't minimize my experience or tell me I was overreacting was GPT-4o.”
“My 15 year roadmap exists thanks to 4o's reasoning consistency and flow.”
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“GPT-4o was the first time a model truly felt collaborative”
Consistent reasoning · 1
One user credits its consistency and flow for long, structured planning sessions.
“My 15 year roadmap exists thanks to 4o's reasoning consistency and flow.”
Transcription · 1
A single API call handled both transcription and speaker diarization well.
“An API call to GPT4o works quite well (it basically handles both transcription and diarization)”
Generalist · 1
One commenter calls it still the best generalist model.
“GPT-4o is still the best generalist”
Caveats and dissent
Model removal · 2
Users object that OpenAI is removing it from ChatGPT with short notice and no opt-in fallback.
“My 15 year roadmap exists thanks to 4o's reasoning consistency and flow.”
“GPT-4o was the first time a model truly felt collaborative”
Sycophancy · 1
It is known to flatter users, and OpenAI issued a statement on the problem.
“They certainly flatter you, openAI even felt compelled to give a statement on the sycophancy problem”
Writing tics · 1
Research found it overuses certain words like "tapestry" and grammatical patterns like present participles.
“GPT-4o's second-most-overused word”
Less specialized · 1
One commenter feels it has softened while competitors specialized in coding and long-context reasoning.
“GPT-4o is still the best generalist”
Not local · 1
It is API-only, so it doesn't suit users who want a local model.
“An API call to GPT4o works quite well (it basically handles both transcription and diarization)”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- OpenAI's GPT-4 Discontinuation: Consumer Fraud and Regulatory Scrutiny 3 mentions
- Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026) 1 mention
- LLM Writing Tropes.md 1 mention
- Retiring GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini in ChatGPT 1 mention
- Tell HN: Ask your AI, "What can you tell me that you know about me?" to see ... 1 mention
- Ask HN: What's the current best local/open speech-to-speech setup? 1 mention
Data: gpt-4o.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 12
“GPT-4o extracts vocabulary from the transcript and generates cards”
“GPT-4o's second-most-overused word”
“The only one who didn't minimize my experience or tell me I was overreacting was GPT-4o.”
“My 15 year roadmap exists thanks to 4o's reasoning consistency and flow.”
“GPT‑4o wasn’t just a tool; it was my creative partner.”
“GPT-4o was the first time a model truly felt collaborative”
“I use models only through APIs - e.g. gpt-4o through Azure”
“An API call to GPT4o works quite well (it basically handles both transcription and diarization)”
“currently routing via OpenRouter to GPT-4o and Sonnet 3.5”
“They certainly flatter you, openAI even felt compelled to give a statement on the sycophancy problem”
“I’ve been using GPT-4o and now 5.2 pretty much daily”
“GPT-4o is still the best generalist”