I wrote this to argue that the GPT-5 rollout backlash wasn't just users hating change, but a rational response to a functional product downgrade.

My thesis is that "personality is utility." The collaborative "vibe" of 4o wasn't a bug; it was a feature that produced better results. OpenAI replaced a transparent creative partner with an opaque, cost-optimized answer engine and was surprised when users revolted.

I've tried to ground this by connecting the emotional Reddit posts to the concrete frustrations of experts who were all complaining about the same loss of agency and transparency, just in different terms. Curious to hear your thoughts.