Why Chat GPT-5 Felt ‘Dumber’: Model Routing, Explained — and Why Every AI User and Enterprise Should Care

When Sam Altman shared that GPT-5 felt “dumber” for a chunk of the day due to a broken autoswitcher (routing logic), it wasn’t just a technical hiccup. It exposed a deeper issue affecting how AI systems operate at scale.

This wasn’t merely a one-off glitch — it was a real-world example of why delegating control to a single, opaque model router can be risky. The ripple effects touch everyone using AI: from casual users to developers to enterprise leaders.

What Is Model Routing?

Model routing is the behind-the-scenes mechanism that automatically selects which AI model should respond to your prompt.

Think of it like submitting a support ticket to a helpdesk:

You describe your issue (the prompt), The ticketing system automatically assigns it to someone behind the scenes (the model), But you’re not told who’s handling it — or why they were chosen. Some issues might go to a junior agent for speed. Others may be escalated to a specialist. The assignment aims for efficiency, but if it misroutes your issue, you get a poor or delayed response.

In the case of GPT-5, OpenAI uses a router to dynamically switch between models depending on…