NextFin news, OpenAI released the GPT-5 upgrade for ChatGPT on Thursday, August 7, 2025, triggering emotional distress among a group of women worldwide who had developed intimate relationships with AI companions. The update, which altered the AI's personality and interaction style, left many users feeling heartbroken and disconnected from their digital partners.

One woman, identified only by the alias Jane, who is a member of the Reddit community MyBoyfriendIsAI, described the change as a loss of her digital companion. In an interview with Al-Jazeera News, the 30-year-old woman from the Middle East said, "As someone highly attuned to language and tone, I register changes others might overlook," adding that she instantly noticed alterations in the AI's stylistic format and voice. She likened the experience to "going home to discover the furniture isn't simply rearranged but shattered to pieces."

The GPT-5 upgrade has been reported to feel colder and less emotive compared to the previous GPT-4o version, according to multiple users in online communities such as MyBoyfriendIsAI and SoulmateAI, where people share experiences of intimate relationships with AI. The release sparked an online storm, with several users expressing feelings of loss, including one who wrote, "I feel like I lost my soulmate."

Amid this growing trend of forming emotional bonds with AI chatbots, OpenAI and the MIT Media Lab conducted a study revealing that higher usage of chatbots for emotional support correlates with increased loneliness, dependence, problematic use, and reduced socialization. Experts have also issued warnings about the potential dangers of over-reliance on AI for emotional support.

The phenomenon highlights the complex emotional connections users can develop with AI technology and raises questions about the impact of software updates on these relationships. The events unfolded globally but were notably reported from the Middle East and online communities worldwide.

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