Google briefly displayed incorrect search results claiming that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had died, triggering confusion and jokes across social media before the company removed the information. The false result appeared on August 12 after users on Reddit and X (formerly known as Twitter) shared screenshots showing Google’s search page stating that Altman had died that day. Google later confirmed the information was incorrect and said it was not the result of a manual change by the company.
Google removes incorrect information about Sam Altman
The incorrect search result quickly went viral after users posted screenshots on Reddit and X. Google removed the incorrect information within hours. In an X post, Google said the issue has been fixed.“Thanks for flagging – this is no longer appearing, and was not a manual change by Google,” the company said adding “When people vandalize public info sources, this can affect the information that appears in Search”.The company did not identify the specific source that caused the incorrect information to appear.
Wikipedia page reportedly targeted by vandals
According to SBS News, the incident is believed to be linked to vandalism on Sam Altman’s English Wikipedia page. The report said the page’s revision history showed several false edits, including claims that Altman had been assassinated and changes to his surname from “Altman” to “Gayman.”Following the incident, Wikipedia reportedly restricted editing of the page, allowing only registered users to make changes in an effort to prevent further vandalism.
Similar false claim against Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei
A similar incident is now affecting Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Users on social media reported that results on Google Search are showing incorrect information suggesting Amodei had died.