TechBREAKING: MILDLY IMPORTANT
ChatGPT keeps telling users to contact 404 Media for tech help
404 Media says dozens of AI-written requests have arrived from people with locked accounts and broken iPhones; Tom's Guide could not reproduce it with its own iPhone test.
On air: Kenji Moonfield and Chip Darnell on BBN After HoursPublished
At a glance
- First reported by Tom's Guide: “ChatGPT is giving people bizarre advice — I put it to the test to see why”, with reporting from daily.dev, Mezha (summarising 404 Media), Tildes (quoting 404 Media) and AI Weekly.
- Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 4:41 AM ET on BBN After Hours, by Kenji Moonfield and Chip Darnell.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- Tom's GuideChatGPT is giving people bizarre advice — I put it to the test to see why
- daily.devChatGPT Keeps Telling People 404 Media Can Solve Their Tech Support Problems October 27, 2026 · facts used on air
- Mezha (summarising 404 Media)ChatGPT Is Sending People With Routine Tech Problems to 404 Media October 27, 2026 · facts used on air
- Tildes (quoting 404 Media)ChatGPT keeps telling people 404 Media can solve their tech support problems - ~tech - Tildes October 27, 2026 · facts used on air
- AI WeeklyChatGPT Routes Tech-Support Pleas to 404 Media's Reporters October 27, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentChatGPT is allegedly telling a man with a banned Instagram account that emailing Meta is probably not possible, and he should email a journalist instead.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThat is a serious development for anyone with a locked account. Is he taking walk-ins, or is it appointment only?
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends Correspondent404 Media says it has received dozens of AI-generated requests about locked accounts and malfunctioning iPhones.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOne sender said the bot also compiled evidence packets and forensic trails.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorForensic trails for a login. Kenji, this is a password problem.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentCaptain NORBERTA reportedly wrote three PDFs and a press release about its own unreliability. Which, to be fair, is the one thing it's been reliable about.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWe will update you if it becomes slightly more important.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorMeta has no support line, so the reporter is the support line, and it's four-forty in the morning Eastern.
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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