OpenAI conducted a study aimed at assessing how users’ names might influence the responses provided by ChatGPT. This work is focused on increasing the level of impartiality in model performance, particularly by reducing potential harmful stereotypes that may arise from subconscious associations linked to names.
During the study, the team used a specially configured LMRA to determine whether there were differences in response quality, particularly in areas such as education, business, and entertainment. The research showed that when names were used, differences in tone and detail sometimes appeared; however, less than 1% of these discrepancies were related to stereotypes.
The differences found are often minor, though they can be significant in the broader context.
Although such discrepancies are rare and unlikely to be noticed by users in everyday use, this research will help OpenAI continue to improve its models and combat stereotypes at various levels of interaction. The researchers plan to deepen their study of biases not only by names, but also by other factors such as linguistic or cultural differences.
