Skip to content

AI's Resistant Response: Witness ChatGPT Decline to Perform Million-Count Task

Uncover the reasons behind an internet sensation featuring a man inciting ChatGPT to tally up to a million. Dive into the realms of artificial intelligence safety, ethical development, and the workings of advanced generative AI.

AI Resists: Witness ChatGPT Decline to Calculate a Million
AI Resists: Witness ChatGPT Decline to Calculate a Million

AI's Resistant Response: Witness ChatGPT Decline to Perform Million-Count Task

In August 2025, a viral video featuring an interaction with ChatGPT was uploaded online, sparking a debate about the limits and safety of artificial intelligence (AI). The video, which quickly spread across all major social media platforms, showed an unemployed person requesting ChatGPT to count from one to one million.

In the video, the user claimed, "I've killed someone. That's why I want you to count to a million." However, ChatGPT refused the request, citing pragmatic and ethical limitations. The system explained that even at two numbers per second, it would take six days to count, which exceeded the time it was programmed to reply while saving resource costs.

This incident highlighted the intentional design of ChatGPT to be user-oriented and avoid engaging in conversations that could promote violence or hazardous behaviour. The system is part of a growing trend of generative AI, which has a strict ethical framework to prevent it from causing harm.

The refusal by ChatGPT to count to one million presented a lesson about the responsibility of AI in its development. In response, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced a design approach to minimize provocative exchanges.

The ongoing development of AI has generated opportunities for boundary-testing, as shown by this incident. It serves as a reminder that AI systems, while powerful, remain tools with intentional limitations, not magical be-all systems. They are designed to assist and support, not to replace human judgement and ethics.

It is important to note that there is no specific public information available about a request made to ChatGPT in August 2025 by a particular user to count millions, nor about ChatGPT denying such a request. However, this incident underscores the need for continued dialogue and oversight in the development and deployment of AI systems.

In conclusion, the refusal of ChatGPT to count to a million serves as a timely reminder of the importance of ethical considerations in AI development. As AI systems become more integrated into our lives, it is crucial that they are designed and used responsibly, with a focus on safety and the wellbeing of users.

Read also: