ChatGPT visa hallucination strands Australian author at airport
Mark Pollard, an Australian author, was stranded at an airport after ChatGPT incorrectly told him he did not need a visa for Chile. He missed a conference he was scheduled to present at, and when he shared his experience on social media, the video accumulated over 1.5 million views.
What happened
Mark Pollard, an Australian author specializing in marketing strategy, asked ChatGPT whether he needed a visa for a short stay in Chile, where he was scheduled to deliver a conference.
ChatGPT stated that no visa was required, but this information was incorrect. Upon arriving at the airport, Pollard discovered he needed an electronic visa obtained in advance from a Chilean consulate.
Unable to board the aircraft without the required visa, Pollard missed his conference and shared his experience on social media on 22 March, accumulating over 1.5 million views on Instagram.
Reported impact
Pollard was prevented from entering Chile and missed the conference he was scheduled to present at.
The social media post detailing his experience went viral, drawing millions of views and mixed reactions, including mockery, with some people questioning whether the account was genuine.
Index analysis
When researchers from Tech&Co posed the same question to ChatGPT, the system repeated its erroneous claim that no visa was required for an Australian short stay in Chile.
ChatGPT only corrected its answer when asked directly for its source, then acknowledged the error and provided accurate information about the electronic visa requirement in place since 9 May 2020.
Governance controls
OpenAI includes a disclaimer on ChatGPT's interface stating that 'ChatGPT can make errors' and advising users to 'verify important information.'
Pollard acknowledged he should have verified the information using a search engine, noting that he chose ChatGPT because he found contemporary search results cluttered with sponsored content.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.