I recently seemed to be causing ChatGPT on GPT-4 to crash/fail, when I challenged it with plotting pixels on an Amstrad CPC (while supporting a hardware-scrolled screen).
As it seemed to get more backed into a corner by complaints and corrections and unable to provide what I wanted, it seemed to get an increased number of broken responses (an error message partway through) or what appeared to be resets (like maybe there was a failure and they'd switched to another server, which adds a couple of line breaks mid-sentence or mid-codeblock).
After a while, I realised that maybe I didn't want to be causing their servers any problems and gave up on the (in any case) fruitless conversation. But it does seem like one can make GPT-4 effectively crash. Or, just as likely, I'm seeing signal in noise.
I have had multiple experiences with exactly those symptoms for sensitive topics. Heard the word "sodomy" in a podcast, not being an English speaking native, didn't know what it is and asked the ChatGPT-4 Voice to define it. It just changed topics, explaining solitude or servitude instead. Tried text instead of voice and got error messages. Finally after getting an error with policy rules around sensitive topic is where it finally clicked as to the type of word it is. Looked it up in a dictionary.
Those symptoms seem to be common. Another one I have had often is this "reset" you mentioned. One of the most frustrating things is it forgetting our conversation up to that point.
As it seemed to get more backed into a corner by complaints and corrections and unable to provide what I wanted, it seemed to get an increased number of broken responses (an error message partway through) or what appeared to be resets (like maybe there was a failure and they'd switched to another server, which adds a couple of line breaks mid-sentence or mid-codeblock).
After a while, I realised that maybe I didn't want to be causing their servers any problems and gave up on the (in any case) fruitless conversation. But it does seem like one can make GPT-4 effectively crash. Or, just as likely, I'm seeing signal in noise.