Google search result falsely stated Sam Altman was dead

Key facts

• Google search results incorrectly stated that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had died on Wednesday.
• Google attributed the false information to vandalism on public sources.
• The company stated the error was not a manual change.
• The incorrect result was removed from Google search.
• Sam Altman's Wikipedia page showed a history of vandalism on the day of the incident.

Google search results incorrectly stated that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had died on Wednesday. Users on X and Reddit pointed out the erroneous information, which appeared at the top of search results for Altman's name. Google acknowledged the error several hours later, stating that it was not a manual change and was likely caused by vandalism on public information sources. The company indicated that when public sources are vandalized, it can affect the information displayed in Search. Some users speculated that vandalism on Wikipedia, which relies on volunteer editors, was the cause. The revision history for Sam Altman's Wikipedia page showed a significant increase in activity on Wednesday, with 22 updates recorded that day, including false claims of assassination and death, and alterations to his name. The page was corrected later in the day. Google's knowledge panels draw information from various public sources, and the company has a system for users to flag incorrect information.