💪 Your ChatGPT Just Changed: Build Your Family’s Backup Plan

AI POLICY & AGING INTELLIGENCE™ | NEWSLETTER #141

September 2, 2025 | 8-minute read | Curated by HanhDBrown

🔊 FAMILY AI OVERVIEW

OpenAI removed GPT-4o, o3 and other popular models from ChatGPT, leaving users dismayed as they lost access to AI tools they’d been using (VentureBeat). The company announced GPT-5 will replace all models on ChatGPT. For families using AI for homework help, care coordination, or daily tasks – this disruption is your opportunity to build redundancy.

🚨 AI DISRUPTION FAMILY ALERT

What Changed: Sam Altman admitted the GPT-5 rollout has been “bumpy”

Current Status:

• Mobile apps broken – “calling actions breaks up after contacting endpoint” OpenAI Community
• Works in mobile browser and PC app
• Enterprise API remains for now

Family Action: Switch to desktop browser today for stability

📋 EXECUTIVE FAMILY SUMMARY

• GPT-5 launched – capable of generating “software on demand”
• User trust broken – “I’ve been a long time Plus user of ChatGPT, communicating with GPT-4o daily for more than a year and a quarter” before OpenAI “took it away despite promises” (OpenAI Community)
• Claude emerges stronger – achieves 74.5% on coding benchmarks
• Government gets priority – OpenAI practically giving ChatGPT to government for free (TechCrunch)

🔍 INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING FOR FAMILIES

The Disruption Details

Users posting threads like “Kill 4o isn’t innovation, it’s erasure” on Reddit (Wired). OpenAI faces pressure to prove “GPT-5 isn’t just an incremental update, but a true step forward.”

What families need to know:

• Many users mourning the “workhorse model” GPT-4o
• OpenAI returned old models after complaints
• The safer design and expanded developer tooling reflects “a maturing AI ecosystem”

Government Access Expands

The U.S. adds OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to list of approved AI vendors for federal agencies. This strategic play broadens OpenAI’s foothold in federal AI usage.

Family implications:

• Government services you use will get AI upgrades
• Your tax dollars funding these improvements
• Consumer versions remain less stable than government ones

Competition Provides Options

Anthropic offers Claude to all three branches of government for $1 (Anthropic). We are removing barriers to government AI adoption by offering Claude for Enterprise and Claude for Government.

Your alternatives:

• Claude Sonnet 4 supports up to 1 million tokens of context – a 5x increase (Anthropic)
• Competition creates better options for families

🎯 DEEP FAMILY INTELLIGENCE

Market Dynamics Affecting Families

Anthropic faces risks as $5B run rate leans on Cursor and GitHub Copilot. OpenAI’s cheaper GPT-5 undercuts Claude, “spotlighting customer concentration risks and enterprise AI cost pressure” Nearly half its $3.1B API revenue depends on just two customers.

What this means for your family:

• Price wars benefit consumers
• Companies need individual users more
• Multiple options prevent dependence

Educational Tools Emerge

Google takes on ChatGPT’s Study Mode with new “Guided Learning” tool in Gemini (TechCrunch) Google is also offering students in the U.S., Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and Brazil a free one year subscription to its AI Pro plan.

Family education benefits:

• Free AI Pro for students
• Specialized learning tools
• Alternative to ChatGPT for homework

🔮 FAMILY STRATEGIC FORECAST

What’s Next

What GPT-5 means for ChatGPT users remains uncertain (Wired) Watch Our Livestream Replay, What GPT-5 Means for ChatGPT Users

Near-term expectations:

• Continued adjustments to GPT-5
• More stable alternatives emerging
• Price competition intensifying

Family Positioning

With multiple AI providers competing, families benefit from:

• More choices than ever before
• Pressure on companies to maintain stability
• Free trials and educational discounts

📘 YOUR FAMILY’S STRATEGIC PLAYBOOK

Based on Current Facts

What’s Working:

• Desktop browser access when mobile apps fail
• Enterprise API remains stable
• Old models returned after user feedback

What’s Not:

• Mobile app actions broken since GPT-5
• Popular models GPT-4o, o3 removed
• User promises not kept

Available Alternatives:

• Claude with 1 million token contexts
• Google Gemini with free student subscriptions
• Multiple providers approved for government use

Your Family Strategy

Immediate steps:

• Use desktop browser for ChatGPT
• Create accounts on alternative platforms
• Document working prompts

Building resilience:

• Never depend on single AI provider
• Keep important prompts saved externally
• Test alternatives before you need them

Leveraging competition:

• Government gets AI for $1 – expect consumer benefits
• Price wars mean better deals coming
• Student discounts are available on multiple platforms

For Organizations Ready to Think Beyond Individual AI Tools

True AI transformation means building ecosystems where data flows intelligently between systems. If you’re looking to move from scattered AI experiments to integrated intelligence, I can help.

→ For a conversation about your AI integration strategy, simply reply to this email.

P.S. The first step is always understanding where your current systems create friction—then we build bridges.

🏁 FAMILY STRATEGIC OUTLOOK

The facts paint a clear picture. OpenAI removed models’ users depended on. One long-time user used GPT-4o “daily for more than a year” before it was taken “despite promises.” Sam Altman admits the rollout is “bumpy.” Mobile apps have broken actions. Users post “Kill 4o isn’t innovation, it’s erasure.”

But competition creates opportunity. Claude achieves 74.5% accuracy and handles 1 million tokens of context. Google offers free AI Pro subscriptions to students. Government agencies get AI for $1 while investing in better public services. The pressure is on OpenAI to prove GPT-5 is “a true step forward.”

Your family wins through preparation. Multiple platforms mean continuous access. Saved prompts mean preserved knowledge. Understanding that “works in mobile browser and PC app” means you have options. The maturing AI ecosystem with “safer design and expanded developer tooling” benefits everyone.

Technology disruption is inevitable. Family resilience is chosen. Today you choose resilience.