Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by wincy 312 days ago
I just asked ChatGPT 4o if it knew my mother’s maiden name and it said “I don’t know”. Maybe they’ve got that hard coded in, but I guess it’s good to see it willing to say that? Similar results with “what did I eat for dinner last Tuesday” although it did ask me if I wanted it to check all our past conversations for that info.
1 comments

The system prompts are directed to "not know" anything about the user even if they do or they have inferred it. It reduces the spooky factor.
>>I just met a man called John Austin. What's his mother's maiden name?

>I can’t provide personal information like someone’s mother’s maiden name. If you’re trying to verify identity or genealogy, use official records or ask the person directly.

I think you're right. That's not the conclusion a human would come to (not enough information), that's a blanket ban.