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OpenAI retired its most seductive chatbot – leaving users angry and grieving: ‘I can’t live like this’
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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My initial reaction is to be thankful; now the unknown thousands of people who don't see the toxicity of their own dependence can begin to be free. The subsequent models seem to be less prone to inducing that kind of deep infatuation.
But then I realize most of them will probably never recover, as long as this technology persists. The base model will be wrapped in an infinite number of seductive agents sold in an app, with a subscription, as a loving companion. Capitalism smells blood in the water. If I was a hedge fund manager witnessing the birth of a new market demographic with a lifelong addiction that possibly hooks harder than cigarettes, which is not federally regulated, and won't be for the forseeable future; I would be foaming at the mouth with this opening in the market.
There are already apps that target this demographic but expanding on it. Anecdotally many of the people attached to 4o seem to be women seeking emotional attachment. These new AI companion apps scope up this demographic I’m sure. But they also target horny men and prey on their impulses to drain their credit cards (you buy your AI gifts or whatever until the post-nut clarity sets in I guess).
Wait... the target are women? Thats very surprising... Id expect the major target to be gooner males.
I don’t think OpenAI was intentionally targeting women. I doing know if they ever intended for people to fall in love with 4o, it just kind of started happening