[Question] Why does ChatGPT throw an error when outputting “David Mayer”?

[Archimedes]

This oddity is making the rounds on Reddit, Twitter, Hackernews, etc.

Is OpenAI censoring references to one of these people? If so, why?

https://​​en.m.wikipedia.org/​​wiki/​​David_Mayer_de_Rothschild https://​​en.wikipedia.org/​​wiki/​​David_Mayer_(historian)

Edit: More names have been found that behave similarly:

• Brian Hood

• Jonathan Turley

• Jonathan Zittrain

• David Faber

• David Mayer

• Guido Scorza

Source: https://​​www.reddit.com/​​r/​​ChatGPT/​​comments/​​1h420u5/​​unfolding_chatgpts_mysterious_censorship_and/​​

[Nate Showell]

This looks like it’s related to the phenomenon of glitch tokens:

https://​​www.lesswrong.com/​​posts/​​8viQEp8KBg2QSW4Yc/​​solidgoldmagikarp-iii-glitch-token-archaeology

https://​​www.lesswrong.com/​​posts/​​f4vmcJo226LP7ggmr/​​glitch-token-catalog-almost-a-full-clear

ChatGPT no longer uses the same tokenizer that it used when the SolidGoldMagikarp phenomenon was discovered, but its new tokenizer could be exhibiting similar behavior.

[Archimedes]

It’s not a classic glitch token. Those did not cause the current “I’m unable to produce a response” error that “David Mayer” does.

[Pazzaz]

Probably because of a terrorist who used the alias David Mayer.

[notfnofn]

I don’t think this explanation makes sense. I asked ChatGPT “Can you tell me things about Akhmed Chatayev”, and it had no problem using his actual name over and over. I asked about his aliases and it said

Akhmed Chatayev, a Chechen Islamist and leader within the Islamic State (IS), was known to use several aliases throughout his militant activities. One of his primary aliases was “Akhmed Shishani,” with “Shishani” translating to “Chechen,” indicating his ethnic origin. Wikipedia

Additionally, Chatayev adopted the alias “David

Then threw an error message. Edit: upon refresh it said more:

Akhmed Chatayev, a Chechen Islamist and leader within the Islamic State (IS), was known to use several aliases throughout his militant activities. One of his primary aliases was “Akhmed Shishani,” with “Shishani” translating to “Chechen,” indicating his ethnic origin. Wikipedia

Additionally, Chatayev adopted the alias “David Mayer.” This particular alias led to a notable case of mistaken identity involving a 90-year-old U.S. Army veteran and theater historian named David Mayer. The veteran experienced significant disruptions, such as difficulties in traveling and receiving mail, due to his name being on a U.S. security list associated with Chatayev’s alias. CBC

These aliases facilitated Chatayev

(I didn’t stop copying there; that was the end of the answer. Full chat)