ChatGPT GPT-5 launch backfires: Users mock ‘PhD-level’ AI over basic blunders

OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT model, GPT-5, billed as “PhD-level” smart, is facing public ridicule after users discovered glaring errors, sparking backlash, petitions, and damage control from CEO Sam Altman.

Imran Malik – MediaBites, August 15, 2025

OpenAI’s highly anticipated ChatGPT GPT-5 launch has gone from a triumph to a public relations headache after the “PhD-level” smart AI made basic — and often hilarious — mistakes.

Touted by CEO Sam Altman as a leap akin to the iPhone’s retina display upgrade, GPT-5 was expected to revolutionize AI interaction. Instead, it stumbled on simple tasks, from mislabeling U.S. presidents to inventing states like “Yirginia.” Tech writers and users alike flooded social media with screenshots of bizarre outputs, fueling widespread mockery.

Journalist Tim Burke reported that GPT-5 produced only nine of the first 12 U.S. presidents, with names like “George Washington” and “William Henry Harrison.” Another request for recent presidents yielded two George W. Bushes — one of them unrecognizable. A similar attempt to label a U.S. map led to geography blunders.

The rollout also alienated long-time fans by replacing popular models like GPT-4o, prompting over 4,000 users to sign a Change.org petition demanding its return. Complaints extended beyond factual errors, with many citing GPT-5’s dull, “flat” personality.

Within 24 hours, Altman was in damage-control mode, announcing the reinstatement of GPT-4o for paid subscribers. “It was a little more bumpy than we hoped for!” he admitted on X.

Altman said in a post. “But it was a little more bumpy than we hoped for!”

The CEO’s failure to anticipate the outrage suggests he doesn’t have a firm grasp on how an estimated 700 million weekly active users are engaging with his product.

Perhaps Altman missed all the coverage — from CNN, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal — of people forming deep emotional attachments to ChatGPT or rival chatbots, having endless conversations with them as if they were real people.

A simple search of Reddit could have offered insights into how others are integrating the tool into their workflows and lives. Basic market research should have shown OpenAI that a mass update sunsetting the tools people rely on would be more than just a bit bumpy.

The backlash underscores a growing challenge for AI companies: bridging the gap between lofty promises and practical performance. Critics like AI researcher Gary Marcus say the incident proves AI hype is outpacing reality — and could dent OpenAI’s $500 billion valuation.

For now, GPT-5’s missteps serve as a cautionary tale for an industry still chasing the dream of AI that can truly think — without confusing Vermont for “Yirginia.”