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Word spread quickly across the machine learning and AI community on the social network X yesterday: OpenAI was sending developers an email notifying them that the company would be removing one of its largest and most powerful large language models (LLMs), GPT-4.5 Preview, from the official OpenAI application programming interface (API) on July 14, 2025.
However, as an OpenAI spokesperson told VentureBeat via email, GPT-4.5 Preview will remain an option to individual ChatGPT users through the dropdown model selector menu at the top of the application.
But it stil means that any third-party developers who had built applications or workflows atop GPT-4.5 preview (we’ll call it GPT-4.5 from here on out for simplicity’s sake, since a full GPT-4.5 was never made available on this platform), now need to switch over to another one of OpenAI’s nearly 40 (!!!) different model offerings still available through the API.
The news quickly spread on X, where developers and AI enthusiasts posted reactions ranging from disappointment to confusion.
Some described GPT-4.5 as a daily tool in their workflow, praising its tone and reliability. Others questioned the rationale behind launching the model in the first place if it was going to be short-lived.
“This is sad — GPT-4.5 is one of my fav models,” wrote @BumrahBachi.
Ben Hyak, the co-founder of AI observability and performance monitoring platform Raindrop.AI, called the move “tragic,” adding: “o3 + 4.5 are the models I use the most everyday.”
Another user, @flowersslop asked bluntly, “what was the purpose of this model all along?”
Deprecation had been planned since April
Despite the strong reaction, OpenAI had in fact already announced the plan to deprecate GPT-4.5 Preview back in April 2025 during the launch of GPT-4.1.
At that time, the company stated that developers would have three months to transition away from 4.5. OpenAI framed the model as an experimental offering that provided insights for future development, and said it would carry forward learnings from GPT-4.5 into future iterations — particularly in areas like creativity and writing nuance.
In a follow-up response to VentureBeat, OpenAI communications confirmed that the June email was simply a scheduled reminder and that there are currently no plans to remove GPT-4.5 from ChatGPT subscriptions, where the model remains available.
Community speculation on cost and model strategy
Still, t …