OpenAI’s Support Bot Fails to Explain ChatGPT
▼ Summary
– The ChatGPT app’s support bot incorrectly claimed a bug reporting feature exists in the app, which it does not.
– OpenAI currently lacks a dedicated in-app bug reporting system for users, a notable omission in its software.
– The author experienced a reproducible bug where resizing the app window on iPad Pro caused it to freeze and become unresponsive.
– Automated support via email repeated the same incorrect advice about bug reporting, highlighting the system’s flaws.
– Recent tests show the support bot has improved by no longer hallucinating the bug reporting feature and instead accurately stating its absence.
When seeking technical assistance for the ChatGPT iPad application, users may encounter a surprising gap in OpenAI’s support infrastructure. The absence of a dedicated bug reporting feature within the consumer-facing app represents a significant oversight for a platform of this scale. This limitation becomes particularly apparent when the built-in support chatbot itself provides inaccurate information about non-existent functionality.
A recent investigation into a persistent window resizing issue on iPad Pro models highlighted these support shortcomings. When attempting to resize the ChatGPT application window to either full-screen or near-full-screen dimensions, the interface would become completely unresponsive. Text elements and interface components would appear stretched, with no touch inputs registering despite the app remaining open. This reproducible bug occurred consistently across multiple iPad Pro devices running various iOS versions capable of multitasking.
The Help Center within the ChatGPT app offered little practical assistance for this specific technical problem. The automated support chatbot, powered by ChatGPT technology, initially suggested standard troubleshooting steps like force-quitting the application or reinstalling it from the App Store. However, the system then began inventing features that don’t actually exist within the application interface.
The support bot incorrectly claimed users could “report this bug directly from within the ChatGPT app (usually under Account or Support > Report a Problem/Send Feedback)” – a function that simply isn’t available to everyday users. While the app does include a “Report” option within individual chat sessions, this feature serves exclusively for flagging problematic content like violent material or illegal activities, not for technical bug reporting.
When challenged about this discrepancy, the chatbot acknowledged its error, confirming that the ChatGPT iPad app “currently only allows reporting individual messages or chats” for content moderation purposes. The email support system demonstrated identical limitations, initially repeating the same inaccurate advice about in-app bug reporting before eventually conceding the error when confronted.
OpenAI confirmed through official channels that the company “doesn’t currently offer a dedicated consumer-facing bug reporting portal for the ChatGPT app.” While developers can participate in a formal bug bounty program through Bugcrowd for security issues, average users lack a straightforward method to report technical problems or suggest feature improvements beyond basic feedback mechanisms like thumbs-down ratings on unsatisfactory responses.
This support gap becomes particularly ironic given that OpenAI’s own AI technology failed to accurately describe the capabilities of its host application. The situation improved somewhat in subsequent testing, with the support bot no longer hallucinating about non-existent bug reporting features. Instead, it now correctly states that no in-app bug reporting exists and offers to forward problem descriptions to developers.
The original window resizing issue remains unresolved in the latest app version, with the only workaround being to avoid maximizing the application window. While the support bot’s improved accuracy represents minor progress, the fundamental absence of proper bug reporting tools continues to frustrate users who encounter technical problems with the application.
(Source: ZDNET)
