OpenAI plans to retire several older language models in February 2026, including GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, and their smaller variants. This move is likely aimed at improving performance and efficiency of the newer models, such as GPT-5, which was previously announced for retirement on the same date. The change does not affect the API at this time. --- Why it matters: This matters to AI researchers because it highlights the continuous improvement cycle in language model development, where older models are regularly retired to make way for more advanced ones. Engineers will need to adapt their applications and systems to use the newer models, which may require updates and retraining. Source: https://openai.com/index/retiring-gpt-4o-and-older-models