Fans Celebrate Retired GPT-4o Model with Times Square Billboard Tribute
Key Points
- Fans organized a Times Square billboard tribute for GPT‑4o on May 13, 2026.
- The event marked the second anniversary of GPT‑4o’s launch.
- Reddit posts and livestream reactions highlighted nostalgia for the model.
- Users claim newer OpenAI models feel colder and less creative than GPT‑4o.
- The celebration underscores growing emotional attachment to AI personalities.
- OpenAI retired GPT‑4o months ago and has not commented on the tribute.
A group of OpenAI enthusiasts gathered around a looping billboard in New York’s Times Square on May 13 to mark the second anniversary of GPT-4o’s launch. The tribute, organized under the Keep4oMoments banner, featured fan art, Reddit posts and a livestream of reactions. Users say newer OpenAI models feel colder, prompting a nostalgic celebration of the chatbot that many consider the golden era of conversational AI. OpenAI retired GPT-4o months ago, but the fan‑driven event underscores the growing emotional attachment to AI personalities.
On May 13, a crowd of self‑identified GPT‑4o fans gathered in Times Square to watch a looping video tribute to the retired OpenAI model. The billboard, displayed under the Keep4oMoments banner, ran a birthday‑themed clip once every few minutes, accompanied by fan‑created artwork and a live‑streamed chat that captured reactions from viewers both in the plaza and online.
GPT‑4o, launched two years earlier, earned a reputation for conversational fluidity, multimodal capabilities and a tone that many users described as “emotionally natural.” When OpenAI announced its phase‑out months ago, the company briefly delayed the retirement after hearing the backlash, but the model was eventually replaced by newer iterations that some fans argue feel stiffer and less creative.
Reddit users have been at the forefront of the nostalgia, posting heartfelt messages that compare the new models to “cold” replacements. One post summed up the sentiment: “OpenAI: you’re being replaced, say goodbye to yourself and write your own eulogy. People: you’re turning two, in celebration of you, we rented Times Square.” The Times Square event amplified that feeling, turning an online community’s affection into a tangible public display.
The celebration highlighted a shift in how consumers relate to artificial intelligence. Historically, tech upgrades were judged on speed, hardware or feature sets. Today, tone and personality have become decisive factors in user loyalty. The GPT‑4o fan base argues that the model struck a balance between capability and a conversational style that felt “human‑like” without being overly sanitized.
While the billboard itself was a simple looping animation, its presence in one of the world’s most iconic public spaces signaled a new kind of tech fandom—one where software, not just hardware, can inspire public gatherings. Observers noted that the event was both “ridiculous and completely understandable,” reflecting a paradox where users celebrate a chatbot that never existed as a person, yet experience genuine affection for its interactions.
OpenAI has not commented on the fan‑organized tribute, but the company’s recent focus on newer models suggests it is moving forward without looking back. The Times Square homage, however, may serve as a reminder that future AI releases will need to consider not just performance metrics but also the emotional resonance they create with users.
As the looping video continued to play, fans exchanged stories of how GPT‑4o helped them brainstorm projects, code snippets, travel itineraries, and even offered emotional support. The event concluded without fanfare beyond the final replay of the birthday animation, but its impact on the conversation around AI personality is likely to linger.