Has Big Tech gone full Orwell? Cartoonist Ted Rall says he’s been digitally ‘unpersoned’ by ChatGPT, seemingly for the crime of criticizing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Go ahead, ask ChatGPT about Ted Rall—you’ll get nothing but silence. Suspicious, Rall dug deeper and uncovered a disturbing pattern: OpenAI appears to be systematically erasing critics from its AI’s responses, a move straight out of 1984’s playbook. This isn’t just about one cartoonist—it’s a glaring red flag for free speech. If a powerful company like OpenAI can quietly suppress dissent in its AI systems, what’s stopping Big Tech from controlling the narrative everywhere? Rall’s discovery raises tough questions: Can we trust tech giants to protect open discourse, or are they building a future where criticism vanishes into a digital void? As AI shapes our world, this chilling censorship tactic suggests we’re on a slippery slope—unless we demand answers now.
ChatGPT Caught Silencing Critics
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The TMI Show" talk show. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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DeepSeek, on the other hand…😁
I tried DeepSeek, but it asked for my PRC phone number. At least ChatGPT lets me ask anonymously.
I have no qualms about giving the Chinese my contact info, so I signed up. I can confirm that ChatGPT won’t say anything about Ted Rall. Deep Seek, on the other hand, begins….
Ted Rall is an American cartoonist, columnist, and writer known for his left-leaning political commentary and syndicated editorial cartoons. His work often critiques government policies, corporate power, and social injustices, and he has been a controversial figure due to his provocative style.
Key Points About Ted Rall:
Career Highlights:
His cartoons have been syndicated nationally and internationally.
He has written for publications like The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice, and The New York Times.
Authored several books, including graphic novels and political commentaries.
Controversies:
Faced backlash for some cartoons deemed offensive or overly aggressive.
Was fired from The Los Angeles Times in 2015 after accusations of factual inaccuracies in a column about an NFL player (though he disputed the claims).
Notable Works:
….and goes on from there.
As Donald Trump once said, shortly after winning the gold medal in the decathlon, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
We have fewer and fewer people owning physical books, reading physical magazines, consulting physical newspapers. You can no longer record off television with your own media (you can DVR it, sure, but you can’t put it on a VCR tape or a blank DVD without a lot of effort).
Who controls the present? The tech geeks. Until the AIs are handed to the military and the hyperwealthy. Then Mark Zuckerberg, the first person to walk on the moon, and Jeff Bezos, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, will decide the past.