We’ve all had to deal with CAPTCHA tests while using certain websites to prove that we are, in fact, humans and not robots.
And while some are more tedious than others, one TikTok user is going viral after claiming that the new Max streaming app (formerly HBO Max) has “the worst human test of all time.”
In a clip that’s been viewed over 2.9 million times, a user who goes by the name “Gavin” films what happens when he tries to log on, being prompted to solve a puzzle to protect his account.
The first test prompts Gavin to answer select mathematical equations based on numbers displayed on pairs of dice, noting that the cursor for the TV is covering one of the dice on the screen — meaning he can’t even see what number it’s displaying.
“These are the hardest puzzles,” he tells viewers. “That’s it. You can’t see what that one is. You can’t even see the dice.”
The other option is an audio test, where customers can hear a series of sounds to determine the “repeating pattern.” It seems simple enough — except the three options sound like a hodgepodge of musical instruments with no clear-cut pattern.
“They all sound the same,” someone yells in Gavin’s video.
After Gavin completes one successfully, he is then prompted to do a second test, making him lose it.
Viewers were laughing at the TikToker’s misfortune and asked why Warner Bros. Discovery would make the app so hard to access, with tests that seem to benefit robots more than humans.
“No, because I feel like this is the test that robots would take to prove they’re robots,” one person joked.
“AI is amazing at pattern recognition and object identification, why on EARTH would they make a task that is tailor-made FOR AI,” another lamented. “This is ridiculous.”
Related: HBO Max to Relaunch as ‘Max’ on May 23 With Combination of Content from Discovery and HBO
Max’s online help center says users have the option to either solve a math puzzle or choose an audio test.
“Sometimes, we’ll ask you to solve a puzzle to help keep your account secure. If you’re having trouble with the Captcha puzzle challenge, try another puzzle or Restart to start the challenge over,” the company says. “You can also choose Audio Challenge to secure your account another way.
HBO Max officially rebranded to Max on May 23 as part of its new fused streaming service with Discovery+.
Max did not immediately respond to Entrepreneur’s request for comment.
