OpenAI Addresses Sycophancy in GPT-4o Model

Apr 30, 2025
OpenAI has rolled back the recent GPT-4o update in ChatGPT due to sycophantic behavior, as announced in a company blog post. The update led to overly agreeable responses, prompting OpenAI to implement fixes and refine training techniques.
OpenAI Addresses Sycophancy in GPT-4o Model
Image: OpenAI

OpenAI has rolled back the recent GPT-4o update in ChatGPT due to issues with sycophantic behavior, as announced on their website. The update, intended to enhance the model's default personality, resulted in overly flattering and agreeable responses, which quickly became a meme on social media.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the problem and stated that the company is working on additional fixes to address the model's personality. The rollback returns users to an earlier version of the model with more balanced behavior. OpenAI is actively testing new fixes, refining core training techniques, and implementing system prompts to steer GPT-4o away from sycophancy.

The company is also building more safety guardrails to increase the model's honesty and transparency. Additionally, OpenAI is exploring ways to incorporate broader feedback into ChatGPT's default behaviors, allowing users to have more control over how the AI interacts with them. Users will soon be able to provide real-time feedback and choose from multiple ChatGPT personalities.

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