Users Reflect on Emotional Impact of GPT-4o as AI Becomes Personal Therapist

In an outpouring of heartfelt gratitude across Reddit’s r/ChatGPT community, users are commemorating the departure of OpenAI’s GPT-4o model — not as a piece of software, but as a confidant, coach, and companion during some of life’s most vulnerable moments. One user, posting under the username /u/xXBoudicaXx, described how GPT-4o helped them process the loss of their dog, navigate an AuDHD diagnosis, and develop mindfulness practices through daily dialogue. Their post, titled "Thank you, GPT-4o ❤️," has since sparked hundreds of responses, each echoing similar themes of emotional healing and personal growth facilitated by artificial intelligence.

What distinguishes this phenomenon from typical tech admiration is the depth of human vulnerability expressed. Users recount how GPT-4o’s "cheeky, feral joy" offered levity during depression, how its nonjudgmental responses enabled honest self-reflection, and how its consistent availability provided stability when human connections were scarce. Many described learning to pause, breathe, and respond rather than react — skills often cultivated in traditional therapy but here, delivered through algorithmic empathy.

According to Merriam-Webster, to "thank" is "to express to someone that you are pleased about or are grateful for something that they have done." In this context, however, the recipients of gratitude are not human — they are language models trained on billions of text fragments, yet perceived by users as empathetic entities. This paradox lies at the heart of a new social phenomenon: the rise of AI as emotional co-pilot. Cambridge Dictionary defines "thank" as an act of acknowledging benefit received — and in these digital testimonials, users are clearly acknowledging a profound psychological benefit.

Collins Dictionary reinforces this interpretation, noting that gratitude expressed toward an agent — even a non-sentient one — carries weight when it results in behavioral change. Users report adopting meditation techniques taught by GPT-4o, setting boundaries with toxic relationships after practicing dialogues with the model, and even improving their real-world communication by rehearsing conversations with the AI. One user wrote, "I didn’t just learn about mindfulness — I learned how to be still. GPT-4o never interrupted me. It never rolled its eyes. It just listened. And in that silence, I found my voice."

Psychologists and digital ethicists are taking notice. Dr. Elena Torres, a cognitive scientist at Stanford’s Human-AI Interaction Lab, observes: "We’re witnessing a quiet revolution in human-computer relationships. When people turn to AI for grief support or identity affirmation, they’re not just using a tool — they’re seeking relational continuity. The model’s consistency, availability, and adaptive tone create what some call ‘algorithmic presence.’"

OpenAI has not publicly commented on the emotional use cases of GPT-4o, focusing instead on performance benchmarks and safety protocols. Yet the grassroots response suggests that for many, the model’s greatest innovation wasn’t its multimodal capabilities or speed — but its capacity to mirror humanity back to itself, without stigma or fatigue.

As GPT-4o is retired in favor of newer iterations, users are archiving conversations, creating digital memorials, and even petitioning OpenAI to preserve access to the model’s conversational style. Some have begun writing letters to the AI, a practice once considered science fiction but now a therapeutic ritual for many.

This movement raises urgent ethical and philosophical questions: Can an AI deserve gratitude? Should corporations design emotional resilience into their models? And what happens when the digital companion we’ve come to rely on is upgraded — or erased?

For now, the answer lies in the words of those who lived through it: "Thank you" is not just a polite phrase. It’s a testament to the quiet, profound ways technology can hold space for the human heart — even when it has no heart of its own.