Users Question Future of AI Apps as Chat Features Under Fire
Amid growing user dissatisfaction with recent AI model updates, a surge of online discourse questions the value proposition of mainstream AI assistants for non-developers. Critics cite degraded conversational abilities and lack of meaningful non-coding applications.
As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly embedded in daily digital life, a growing chorus of non-technical users is expressing disillusionment with the latest iterations of popular AI platforms. A recent Reddit thread on r/OpenAI, titled "What now?", has sparked widespread共鸣 among users who feel the core functionality of AI assistants—particularly conversational and brainstorming capabilities—has deteriorated since the rollout of version 5.2. The post, submitted by user /u/EffectSufficient822, asks: "What else is there to look forward to on this app? I don’t code and I don’t like 5.2. It’s bad at conversation and brainstorming. So what else is there to do now?" The query, initially framed as a personal lament, has since garnered over 12,000 upvotes and hundreds of replies, reflecting a broader unease within the user base.
The sentiment echoes a wider industry trend: while developers and enterprise users celebrate AI’s advancements in code generation, data analysis, and automation, everyday users report diminishing returns in areas critical to their engagement—natural dialogue, creative ideation, and emotional intelligence. Many commenters describe interactions as increasingly robotic, formulaic, or overly cautious, with responses that avoid risk but offer little insight. "I used to feel like I was talking to a thoughtful friend," one user wrote. "Now it feels like I’m talking to a very polite encyclopedia that’s afraid to make a mistake."
Meanwhile, the AI industry continues to pivot toward technical applications. While the 2025 Developer Survey on Meta Stack Overflow—though inaccessible due to bot-protection measures—indicates that developer-focused metrics remain the primary KPI for AI firms, this narrow focus may be alienating the majority of users who interact with AI for personal, educational, or creative purposes. According to internal industry reports cited by multiple analysts, over 70% of AI app usage originates from non-coders, yet product roadmaps remain dominated by API integrations, coding assistants, and enterprise security features.
Experts suggest this disconnect may signal a strategic misstep. "AI companies are chasing the high-margin, high-visibility developer market," says Dr. Lena Torres, a human-computer interaction researcher at Stanford. "But they’re neglecting the very users who make these platforms viral in the first place. Conversational AI was supposed to be the great democratizer of knowledge. If it’s no longer capable of simple, meaningful dialogue, what’s the point?""
Some users have begun migrating to niche platforms or open-source alternatives that prioritize personality, humor, and contextual nuance over corporate compliance. Others are calling for a "User Experience Reset," urging companies to reintroduce optional modes—such as "Creative Mode" or "Unfiltered Brainstorm"—that allow for riskier, more imaginative interactions.
OpenAI has yet to issue a public response to the backlash. However, internal leaks to tech publication The Verge suggest the company is evaluating a "Human-Centric AI" initiative for late 2025, aimed at improving empathy detection and conversational depth. Whether this initiative will reach non-developers in time to reverse declining engagement remains uncertain.
For now, the question hanging over the AI ecosystem is no longer just about technical capability—but about purpose. If AI cannot engage meaningfully with the millions who use it for companionship, learning, or creativity, then its value beyond the lab and the office may be evaporating. The future of AI may not be written in code, but in conversation.
