ChatGPT users alarmed over unprompted name recognition

Recently many users of ChatGPT have reported a strange and concerning experience. The AI chatbot has been calling people by their names, even when they haven’t shared that information. This unexpected behavior has sparked privacy concerns and left users confused and uneasy.

Several people posted on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter) saying that ChatGPT addressed them by name without any clear reason. One software developer called it “weird and invasive,” while another user mentioned it felt “creepy and unnecessary.” Many users are wondering how the AI could know their names when they never gave any personal information.

This situation seems to have started after OpenAI updated ChatGPT with a memory feature. This feature is designed to help the chatbot remember user preferences and past conversations. However, the bigger issue is that some users claimed ChatGPT used their names even when the memory feature was turned off. This raised serious questions about data privacy and whether users are truly in control of their information.

Adding to the concern, OpenAI has not made any official statement about this issue. Without clarification, people are left guessing whether this name-calling is a new feature, a bug, or something else. Some users said the experience reminded them of a teacher constantly calling out a student’s name, which made them uncomfortable.

Experts believe that while personalization can improve user experience, forced familiarity can backfire. If AI tools like ChatGPT start using personal data without clear permission, it can feel unnatural and even alarming. Many believe AI companies must be more transparent about how data is collected and used.