ChatGPT’s New Update Will ‘Reduce the Cringe’ Factor. Here’s What Users Were Complaining About.

Open AI’s GPT-5.3 Instant model tones down the condescending language that annoyed users.

By Jonathan Small | edited by Dan Bova | Mar 04, 2026
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ChatGPT was getting too preachy, causing some users to cancel their subscriptions. So, OpenAI did something about it. will tone down responses like “First of all — you’re not broken” and constant reminders to “take a breath” and “stop spiraling” that were supposed to calm users down, but did the opposite.

Users complained on Reddit that ChatGPT made them feel “infantilized” by assuming they were panicking when they just wanted information. over the therapy-speak tone. As one user put it: “No one has ever calmed down in all the history of telling someone to calm down.”

OpenAI got the message. “We heard your feedback loud and clear, and 5.3 Instant reduces the cringe,” the company posted on X.

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ChatGPT was getting too preachy, causing some users to cancel their subscriptions. So, OpenAI did something about it. will tone down responses like “First of all — you’re not broken” and constant reminders to “take a breath” and “stop spiraling” that were supposed to calm users down, but did the opposite.

Users complained on Reddit that ChatGPT made them feel “infantilized” by assuming they were panicking when they just wanted information. over the therapy-speak tone. As one user put it: “No one has ever calmed down in all the history of telling someone to calm down.”

OpenAI got the message. “We heard your feedback loud and clear, and 5.3 Instant reduces the cringe,” the company posted on X.

Sign up for the Âé¶¹Éç Daily newsletter to get the news and resources you need to know today to help you run your business better.

Jonathan Small • Founder, Strike Fire Productions

Âé¶¹Éç Staff
Jonathan Small is a bestselling author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he... Read more
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