Your AI Just Became THAT Guy Who Remembers Your Name After One Meeting

Buckle up, because ChatGPT just pulled a move that’s making users’ skin crawl. Out of nowhere, the AI started dropping users’ names mid-conversation like an overeager sales rep at a networking event. And here’s the kicker – nobody told it their names.

“It’s creepy and unnecessary”

Simon Willison, AI Developer

The Uncomfortable Truth About AI Personalization

We’re not talking about a polite “Hello [Name]” here. ChatGPT is weaving names into its reasoning process like:

• “Let me think about that, Sarah…”
• “Based on your question, Michael, I’d suggest…”
• “Here’s what I found for you, Jessica…”

And users are LOSING IT. X (formerly Twitter) is exploding with reactions like:

“It’s like a teacher keeps calling my name, LOL. Yeah, I don’t like it.”

@TechAnxiousUser

Why This Hits Different

According to The Valens Clinic’s research on human interaction:

• Names create intimacy when used appropriately
• Overuse comes across as inauthentic and invasive
• Forced familiarity backfires HARD

This isn’t just bad UX – it’s violating the Uncanny Valley of Personalization. When your toaster starts calling you by name, you know something’s off.

The Bigger Problem

Here’s what makes this REALLY concerning:

• Happening even with memory features DISABLED
• No warning or explanation from OpenAI
• Feels like forced anthropomorphism

“Is there any reason to add that? Will it make it better or just make more errors?”

@SkepticalDev

The Bottom Line

Sam Altman wants AI that “gets to know you over your life.” But this rollout proves one thing crystal clear: Users want CONTROL over when and how AI gets personal. Because right now? This feels less like helpful personalization and more like your chatbot just read your ID while you weren’t looking.

UPDATE: As of Friday, ChatGPT appears to have rolled back the feature – for now. But this incident leaves us with a burning question: How personal is TOO personal when it comes to AI assistants?