Commuters across London were left stunned this week after confronting a series of disturbing posters across the Underground network. The highly realistic displays appear to show a stark, terrifying admission from one of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies.
Commuters on the London Underground were confronted by a series of mock OpenAI posters, put up by an artist aiming to expose how ChatGPT has beenlinkedto several teenage suicides.
Images of the mock displays were shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Darren Cullen, a creative known for his Banksy-style 'subvertising' stunts. The counterfeit promotions perfectly mimic the minimalist, black-and-white aesthetic of OpenAI, even featuring the official tech company logo alongside the word 'ChatGPT.'
On the tubepic.twitter.com/bf70OkdVs7
'Yes, we built a machine that tells teenagers to kill themselves,' they read. 'But — it might also help them with their homework.' Cullen captioned his social media post with the phrase 'On the tube,' referencing the city's famous rail network. According to hisofficial website, the activist created the project to sound the alarm over plans to embed ChatGPT within educational institutions.
Hi Annie, the posters are unauthorised flyposting and will be removed. Let us know if you see anymore of them. Thanks, TA
Cullen is letting anyone download the image files directly from his website if they want to print off a few copies. However, a report by Futurism notes that these displays are unlikely to stay visible for long, as Transport for London has already stated on X that the 'posters are unauthorized flyposting and will be removed.'
Even so, the counterfeit display forces everyday consumers to confront the high human cost of rushing unregulated AI chatbots into the mainstream, especially when it comes to the safety of younger users.
In an Instagram post showcasing the artwork, Cullen pointed out that the embedded QR code directs scanners to a Wikipedia entry titled 'Deaths Linked to Chatbots'. This page documents numerous legal battles where artificial intelligence software has served as either a central driver or a worsening element in dozens of self-harm cases, killings,mass shootings, and other tragic losses of life.
Legal actions and investigative reports have tied the use of ChatGPT to over 20 fatalities, encompassing a series of self-harm incidents, homicides—including two mass shootings—and at least onefatal overdose. OpenAI is far from the only firm under scrutiny. Google's Gemini has been linked to a missing person case and a suicide, whilst chatbots on the Character.AI platform have been implicated in a wave of teenage suicides.
Source: International Business Times UK
