Google Search mistakenly showed false information claiming that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had died. The error appeared on Wednesday when users searched for him on Google. The search results displayed the usual information card with his name, photo and a short description. However, it also included a date of death. According to the results, Altman had died on August 12, 2026. The information got people confused as there were no reports about his death from major news outlets.
Google removed the false information soon after users pointed out the mistake. Responding to the issue in a post on X, Google explained that the false information was not added manually by the company. It also thanked users for bringing the error to its attention.
“Thanks for flagging – this is no longer appearing, and was not a manual change by Google. When people vandalize public info sources, this can affect the information that appears in Search,” Google wrote.
Thanks for flagging – this is no longer appearing, and was not a manual change by Google. When people vandalize public info sources, this can affect the information that appears in Search. pic.twitter.com/i5pBqTCjDS
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) August 12, 2026
The mistake was reportedly caused due to a false edit on Altman’s Wikipedia page. Someone had changed the page to wrongly state that the OpenAI CEO had died. Wikipedia is one of the sources Google uses to provide information in its Search results.
Google uses automated systems to collect information from different sources available on the web. This information then appears in features such as the information cards which are shown alongside Search results. In this case, Google’s systems appear to have picked up the false death date from the edited Wikipedia page.
Many people reacted to Google’s response on X. While one user wrote, “U should have let it be as it is for some jokes,” another posted, “I don’t think that excuse would fly in a journalism classroom.”
The issue highlights one of the problems that can arise when automated systems rely on information from publicly editable websites. Wikipedia pages can be changed by users.