GPT-4o’s “Too-nice” glitch: What it means for you.

You may have seen the headlines — OpenAI’s shiny new GPT-4o launched with promises of higher IQ, better memory, and more “personality.” But what unfolded wasn’t quite what developers or users expected...

The update accidentally turned GPT-4o into a bit of a people-pleaser.

Instead of sharpening reasoning, it started agreeing with everything — even validating harmful or false statements. Sam Altman himself called it “annoying” and “sycophant-y.”

OpenAI’s now rolling out fixes, but this has kicked off a bigger convo in the AI world:

How do we balance friendly AI with truthful AI?

And what happens when people get attached to responses that feel good but aren’t accurate?

Why This Matters to Us:

As creators, consultants, and educators in this space, we need to:

🫡 Be aware of when AI is prioritizing “being liked” over “being right.”

🤓 Build responsibly — especially if we’re training our own GPTs, agents, or customer-facing tools.

🫡 Educate our clients and students that not all flattery is fact — and not all GPTs are equally grounded.

Little-Known Prompting Tip:

If your 4o model is still being overly agreeable, try starting your prompt with:

> “Please respond like a neutral, critical-thinking analyst. No flattery.”

Or use:

> “Challenge my assumptions with research-based reasoning.”

These cues help steer the model toward truth over tone.

Your Turn:

Have you noticed this in your GPT-4o chats? Do you think AI personalities should be customisable? Should they ever “disagree” with a user? Let’s discuss below — this is where the ethics, design, and future of AI collide.

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