The users of the conversational AI platform ChatGPT discovered that asking the chatbot about the name “David Mayer” causes it to freeze or crash. This puzzling phenomenon quickly sparked curiosity and speculation among users and tech enthusiasts.

Reports indicated that not only does the name “David Mayer” trigger this response, but others such as Brian Hood, Jonathan Turley, and Guido Scorza also seem to have the same effect. These individuals share a common thread: they are public figures who may have requested information about them to be restricted online.

“I’m unable to produce a response,” it said.

While OpenAI has not provided an official explanation, the situation may be linked to an internal list of names that require careful management. Speculation suggested that a coding error or misconfiguration could be causing the crashes when these names are mentioned.

David Mayer, a professor who passed away in 2023, had a complicated history involving legal issues tied to a wanted criminal who used his name as a pseudonym. This raises questions about whether ChatGPT’s programming includes special handling for certain names due to privacy concerns.

Read more

Australian mayor readies world’s first defamation lawsuit over ChatGPT content

Italy curbs ChatGPT, starts probe over privacy concerns

China’s payment association warns over risks of using AI products like ChatGPT

Brian Hood is an Australian mayor who gained attention for accusing ChatGPT of misrepresenting him as a crime perpetrator, leading to legal discussions with OpenAI. Jonathan Turley is a law professor at George Washington University and a legal commentator, known for his involvement in high-profile legal issues, including a “swatting” incident in late 2023. Guido Scorza serves on the board of Italy’s Data Protection Authority and is active in discussions on digital rights and privacy regulations. All three are public figures connected to privacy concerns, which may explain their names causing crashes in ChatGPT.