Soundslice, a popular online sheet music platform, has introduced a new feature allowing users to import ASCII guitar tablature after discovering that the AI language model ChatGPT was incorrectly telling users the feature already existed. This confusion, reported in July 2025, led many users to attempt uploading ChatGPT-generated guitar tabs to Soundslice, only to find the platform did not support the function.
The ASCII tablature import tool converts plain-text guitar tabs, such as --0--3--1--0--|---------------, into playable and editable music notation on Soundslice. The company’s founder, Adrian Holovaty, confirmed that this feature was originally planned for development later in 2025 but was fast-tracked due to the unexpected demand created by ChatGPT’s false claims.
ChatGPT, an AI language model, sometimes generates plausible yet inaccurate information—a problem known as “AI hallucination.” In this case, ChatGPT confidently provided users with instructions for uploading ASCII tabs to Soundslice, despite the feature not existing at the time. This led to user frustration and a rise in support requests to the company.
Holovaty described this as a unique example of AI misinformation driving real product development. Soundslice had previously supported formats like MusicXML and Guitar Pro but lacked ASCII tab import, which some users consider a less refined format compared to others.
This incident highlights broader challenges in AI use, where hallucinations can mislead users and affect expectations. Experts warn that AI outputs should always be verified against trusted sources, as inaccurate AI-generated information has caused problems in fields ranging from legal work to customer service.
