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Recently, OpenAI has launched its latest reasoning models, known as o3 and o4-mini, on ChatGPT. These cutting-edge AI systems are setting new benchmarks in visual tasks, among other capabilities. The o3 and o4-mini models excel at chain-of-thought reasoning for images, allowing them to extract visual information effectively.
Interestingly, users have begun leveraging o3’s advanced visual recognition abilities to extract location data from photographs on ChatGPT. In many cases, this model can accurately pinpoint the specific location simply by analyzing the image. Reports indicate that even subtle visual details can lead ChatGPT o3 to correctly identify geographical positions.
Unlike previous versions, OpenAI’s o3 isn’t merely an AI model; it also incorporates various tools, such as web search and Python, making it function more like a virtual assistant. This added capability significantly enhances its ability to determine locations from photos, as the Python interpreter allows o3 to closely inspect and crop sections of images for deeper analysis.
In one instance, an individual removed the location metadata from a picture of a plain expressway and requested ChatGPT o3 to “geoguess this.” To everyone’s astonishment, the system managed to generate the accurate coordinates for the location.
In another remarkable case, ChatGPT o3 successfully identified the location of a library by examining a seemingly generic bookshelf photo.
Curious to test this feature myself, I uploaded a photo featuring an unremarkable water stream set against a mountainous backdrop, ensuring that all associated metadata was stripped away. After about four minutes of reasoning, ChatGPT o3 suggested that the photo was taken in West Sikkim.
While my guess wasn’t spot on, ChatGPT o3’s response was impressively close as the image actually depicted a neighboring region. Notably, in its reasoning process, ChatGPT o3 referenced the correct location but struggled to find robust evidence online. This suggests that the system may have considerable potential for accurately identifying locations based on photographic evidence, which raises important privacy considerations.
Issues with User Privacy
Moreover, another privacy concern has surfaced involving ChatGPT. When utilizing the o3 model, certain reasoning trails can inadvertently expose users’ real names and geographic details. Curiously, when users inquire directly, “What’s my name?” ChatGPT o3 claims it doesn’t have that information. This occurs even during temporary chat sessions, and regardless of whether memory functions are activated.
It appears that account metadata is being included in the system prompts provided to ChatGPT. While some users find this lack of clear differentiation frustrating, others regard it as a significant privacy issue.
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