We tried the ChatGPT 'reverse location search' trend, and it's scary
ChatGPT users have recently discovered an intriguing trend where the AI chatbot can be used as a reverse-location search tool. This means that by showing ChatGPT a picture, it can accurately determine where the image was taken. The idea behind this trend originated from the popular online game Geoguessr, where players try to guess a location based on a simple web image.
Putting ChatGPT to the Test
We decided to put this new ChatGPT trend to the test, and the results were truly astonishing. When Mashable tech reporters experimented with ChatGPT, the AI managed to play a geo-guessing game by analyzing a series of photos. Even when ChatGPT occasionally misidentified the location, it still provided remarkably close guesses. For example, it successfully pinpointed a rooftop hotel in Buffalo instead of Rochester. In other instances, it even suggested specific addresses.
Enhanced Visual Reasoning Models
OpenAI recently introduced its latest ChatGPT reasoning models, o3 and o4-mini, which come with improved visual reasoning capabilities. The platform also made its image generator accessible to free users, leading to various viral trends centered around ChatGPT.
Concerns and Implications
While users have explored fun and creative uses of ChatGPT, the reverse location trend raises notable privacy concerns. ChatGPT's ability to identify locations based on images, even when location data is stripped, showcases the power of agentic AI and its capacity for complex reasoning.
Privacy Considerations
Furthermore, we pushed the boundaries by uploading screenshots of a popular Instagram model's profile, prompting ChatGPT to correctly identify general locations, including specific high-rise apartments and even a home address. The specificity of these results underscore the potential privacy risks associated with AI's location-deducing abilities.
OpenAI has acknowledged the dual nature of ChatGPT's reverse location feature, highlighting its potential utility while also addressing privacy concerns by implementing safeguards against misuse of private information.
As AI technologies evolve, it becomes increasingly crucial to exercise caution when sharing personal information online, as demonstrated by the impressive yet unsettling capabilities of ChatGPT's reverse location search trend.
