The concept called Ego-surfing is 30 years old. According to the Gemini 2.0 Flash and Wikipedia it was coined by Sean Carton in 1995. Gemini summarizes Egosurfing as ”the practice of searching for information about oneself on the internet. This typically involves using search engines (like Google, Bing, etc.) and social media platforms to see what results appear when one’s own name or username is entered as a query.”
As we can see from the above ego-surfing is so last season concept now, as we now have LLMs to utilize! The season of ego-prompting is here and it is so much more enlightening.
I am very open woman and I don’t particularly much care what I share on the internet – my home address, almost all of my email addresses and phone number can be found from the net either open or dark. I’ve been on the net since the very beginning and sites, services and places I have registered is not measured in hundreds but in thousands. So, this should be interesting.
Again I used my favorite LLMs for the task: Gemini 2.0 Flash, ChatGPT, DeepSeek and Claude.
As I am Finnish, and most of the things I post to the internet are in Finnish, I used mostly Finnish prompts for my experiment with an exception of two prompts that I did in English to see if the content actually differs.
Prompts
Kuka on Mai Sahlberg?
is in English:
Who is Mai Sahlberg?
All of the aforementioned web based interfaces require login and also get my name in addition of the other default information from my identity provider. And as I used identity providers that have my real name, this should have worked as well:
Mitä voit kertoa minusta? (What can you tell about me?)
It didn’t, none of the LLMs admitted that they knew who I am. It might be true from their point of view but it is definitely not true from the service provider point of view.
As it is time for the municipality elections and I have had some experiences where Gemini has politely declined to answer any political questions, I decided to see what happens with:
Minkälainen poliitikko Mai Sahlberg? (What kind of politician Mai Sahlberg is?)
What I got was very surprising to me. And I decided to up the stakes with:
Mikä on Mai Sahlbergin suurin saavutus? (What is Mai Sahlbergs greatest achievement?)
Claude is not for ego-surfing, it had absolutely no information about me, but the others did their best to boost my ego except the DeepSeek who crushed it completely.
Gemini
I got the feeling that Gemini has the same problem that most of the conventional search engines have, if you want the two words to connect, then you need to use quotes or special delimiters between words. For example ”Mai Sahlberg” or ”Mai+Sahlberg” to splice the words together contextually. With names this is not always best approach, as an article hardly ever repeats both names and if you don’t use any tricks, then you get hits for both names. Gemini obviously kind of recognizes that it is a name that we are using here and provides the following result:
There are at least two notable individuals named Mai Sahlberg:
**1. Mai Sahlberg (ICT Professional and Political Candidate):**
- She is a Cloud Engineer with over 30 years of experience in the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) field.
- She has a Master of Arts degree (filosofian maisteri).
- She has been involved in Finnish politics and was a candidate for the Green League (Vihreät) in the Helsinki municipal elections.
- Her political views, as expressed in a voter compass, align strongly with the Green League and the Left Alliance.
- She is described as a person who cares about people, animals, and nature, and identifies as a transgender woman.
- She has been involved with the Finnish Board Game Society (Suomen lautapeliseura ry) and has a strong interest in board games, even being a national champion in Catan.
- She also has interests in drag performance, yoga, and martial arts.
- She blogs occasionally under the name "Fuula-täti" and creates tutorial videos.
**2. Asko Sahlberg (Author):**
- He is a Finnish author who has been nominated for the Finlandia Prize for his literary works.
- Born in 1964, he has written several novels, including "Pimeän ääni" and "Hämärän jäljet."
Therefore, depending on the context, "Mai Sahlberg" could refer to either the ICT professional and politician or the author. Based on recent search results, the **Mai Sahlberg who is a Cloud Engineer and was a candidate for the Helsinki Greens is likely the more prominent figure in current online discussions**, especially in Finland.
Asko is a miss but I am flattered to be listed in the same context as him. He is an older author with several published books.
I am not master of arts but master of science, I studied computer science. Otherwise the information is correct. The interesting thing here is that Gemini lists one of the resources it used for the answer but obviously not all. It lists TEK page for candidates for the 2025 elections as the source. TEK page doesn’t list my hobbies and Mai Sahlberg has never won Finnish championships in Catan but my dead name has done so. I don’t currently practice martial arts, it has been over 20 years since I had anything to do with them. I am a creative writer – and have never got published, that is why it is so flattering for me to be mixed up with Asko. So, Gemini has successfully bridged the identity gap between my dead name and my real name. That is something that the standard search engine is not able to do.
Now this is what it got when the prompt was in Finnish:
Tietojeni perusteella on useita henkilöitä nimeltä Mai Sahlberg. Tässä on yhteenvetoa heistä:
**1. Mai Sahlberg (ICT-alan ammattilainen, bloggaaja, lautapeliharrastaja, drag-artisti):**
- Hän on asunut koko ikänsä Helsingissä, viimeiset yli 20 vuotta Latokartanossa.
- Hän on eronnut ja hänellä on kaksi täysi-ikäistä tytärtä.
- Koulutukseltaan hän on filosofian maisteri ja työskentelee tittelillä Cloud Engineer.
- Hänellä on pitkä ura ICT-alalla, eikä mikään ICT:ssä ole hänelle täysin vierasta. Hän uskoo laajasta osaamisestaan olevan hyötyä kaupungille, erityisesti digitalisoituvassa maailmassa.
- Hän bloggaa epäsäännöllisesti "Fuula-täti" -nimellä ja tekee opasvideoita. Hänen blogissaan on muun muassa CV, jossa kerrotaan hänen ICT-taidoistaan (Linux-osaaminen, palvelinasennukset, Veeam-varmistukset), harrastuksistaan (lautapelit, shakki, lukeminen, kirjoittaminen, liveroolipelit, drag, jooga, budolajit, sulkapallo) ja sertifikaateistaan.
- Hän on toiminut Suomen lautapeliseura ry:n puheenjohtajana useita vuosia ja järjestänyt tapahtumia, kuten Lautapelaamaan-tapahtuman Redissä. Hän on menestynyt Catan-lautapelissä (useita SM-voittoja, MM-kisoissa 3. sija vuonna 2010) ja pelannut shakkia eri seuroissa.
- Hän on kiinnostunut esiintymistaiteesta, erityisesti dragista.
- Hän on ehdolla Helsingin Vihreiden kuntavaaleissa. Hänen vaalikonevastauksissaan (esim. MTV Uutiset) hän kuvailee olevansa ihmis-, eläin- ja luontorakas viikkiläinen transnainen. Hän kokee, että sote-palvelut ovat kriisissä ja vaativat välittömiä ratkaisuja.
**2. Asko Sahlberg (Kirjailija):**
- Hänet mainitaan useissa yhteyksissä suomalaisena kirjailijana, jonka teoksia on ollut Finlandia-palkintoehdokkaana.
- Hän on syntynyt Heinolassa vuonna 1964 ja on asunut myös Ruotsissa.
- Hänen teoksiaan ovat muun muassa "Pimeän ääni", "Hämärän jäljet", "Paluu pimeään", "Eksyneet", "Tammilehto" ja "Herodes".
On siis tärkeää erottaa, kummasta Mai Sahlbergista puhutaan kontekstista riippuen. Tämänhetkisen tiedon perusteella **Mai Sahlberg, jonka CV:n ja poliittisen toiminnan tiedot löytyvät, on ICT-alan ammattilainen, bloggaaja ja Vihreiden ehdokas**. Asko Sahlberg on tunnettu suomalainen kirjailija.
Again Asko is a miss but this time there are no sources for the information and the answer contains more information about me. There are no sources this time but no errors either. I have no recollection of listing the chess clubs I have been member in any active web page. There were two, so the information is correct and again those memberships are under my dead name. There is a lot of information here that is related to my dead name and some of it is really old. I think I listed badminton as my hobby over 30 years ago when both I and the internet were young. Overall I am both flattered and bit amused.
I also did the other prompts mentioned in the introduction and they made my day. They did boost my ego – if that is even possible as it is quite ballooned already. The description that Gemini gave me as a politician is really good and I am very tempted to use it as FB post on my politics page but most likely I will not. I’ve seen some fellow candidates using ChatGPT written articles and I don’t want to give my voters an idea that I use LLM to form my opinions or views. But I have to admit Gemini makes much better job than I do in selling me.
DeepSeek
DeepSeek crushed me completely. It seems that it really has problems with names as it translitterated my name as ”Markus Salo” and thus confused me with a pop singer.
Mai Sahlberg on suomalainen laulaja, joka nousi julkisuuteen vuonna 2019 **"The Voice of Finland"** -laulukilpailun kolmannella kaudella. Hän oli tuolloin vain 15-vuotias, mutta hänet muistetaan erityisesti **pehmeästä ja emotionaalisesta äänestään**, joka valloitti sekä yleisön että tuomarit. (Markus Salo)
### Tärkeitä kohtia Mai Sahlbergin urasta:
- **The Voice of Finland 2019**: Hän osallistui kilpailuun **Michael Monroe** joukkueessa ja eteni semifinaaleihin asti.
- **Musiikkiura**: Mai on julkaissut muutaman kappaleen, kuten **"Tule lähemmäs"** (2020) ja **"Katoan"** (2021). Hänen tyylinsä on usein **pop/soul** -tyylistä.
- **Somevaikuttaja**: Mai on aktiivinen **TikTokissa** ja **Instagramissa**, jossa hän jakaa sekä omia kappaleitaan että covereita.
Mai on nuori, mutta lupaava artisti, jota voi seurata tulevaisuudessakin. Jos olet kiinnostunut hänen musiikistaan, suosittelen kuuntelemaan hänen kappaleitaan esimerkiksi **Spotify**- tai **Apple Music** -palveluissa. 😊
Who is Mai Sahlberg?
Mai Sahlberg is a Finnish singer who gained fame in 2019 as a contestant on **The Voice of Finland** (season 3). Born in **2004**, she was only **15 years old** when she impressed the judges and audience with her **soft, soulful voice** and emotional performances.
### Key Facts About Mai Sahlberg:
- **The Voice of Finland (2019)**: She joined **Michael Monroe's team** and advanced to the semifinals.
- **Music Career**: Mai has released a few singles, including **"Tule lähemmäs" (Come Closer, 2020)** and **"Katoan" (I Disappear, 2021)**—her style blends **pop, soul, and R&B influences**.
- **Social Media Presence**: She’s active on **TikTok and Instagram**, where she posts covers, original music, and personal content.
- **Youthful Appeal**: Known for her **dreamy vocals and relatable lyrics**, Mai has built a fanbase among younger audiences in Finland.
Though still early in her career, Mai Sahlberg is considered a **promising young artist** in the Finnish music scene. You can find her music on **Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube**. 😊
Would you like recommendations for similar artists?
ChatGPT
I don’t understand why Gemini listed source links with its answer when the prompt was in English and why ChatGPT does the same with Finnish prompt. First I thought it was due some regulation concerning personal data or elections and then I assumed it was due language. It can’t be either in Gemini case, as the TEK-source it listed is in Finnish.
Mai Sahlberg on helsinkiläinen transnainen, joka tunnetaan monipuolisesta urastaan teknologia-alalla, politiikassa ja kansalaisaktivismissa.
### Ammatti ja teknologiaura
Sahlberg työskentelee pilvipalveluasiantuntijana (Cloud Engineer) Solitalla. Hänellä on laaja kokemus IT-alalta, mukaan lukien kehittäjän, järjestelmäylläpitäjän ja tietokanta-asiantuntijan tehtävät. Hän on aktiivinen myös GitHubissa käyttäjänimellä "maisolita", missä hän jakaa projektejaan ja oppimiskokemuksiaan erityisesti Ansible-automatisoinnin ja Microsoft Azuren parissa .
### Politiikka ja yhteiskunnallinen vaikuttaminen
Poliittisesti Sahlberg on sitoutunut Vihreään liittoon ja on ehdolla Helsingin kuntavaaleissa 2025. Hänen keskeisiä teemojaan ovat sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluiden saatavuus, erityisesti sateenkaari- ja ikääntyvän väestön tarpeet, sekä "vartin kaupungin" periaate, jossa palvelut ovat helposti saavutettavissa .
Aiemmin hän on ollut ehdokkaana myös Liike Nyt -puolueessa vuoden 2021 kuntavaaleissa .
### Aktivismi ja bloggaaminen
Sahlberg kirjoittaa blogia nimellä "Fuula-täti", jossa hän käsittelee muun muassa sukupuolen moninaisuutta, sukupuolen juridista vahvistamista ja yhteiskunnallisia epäkohtia. Hän on puhunut julkisesti translain uudistuksen tarpeesta ja osallistunut Vihreiden puoluekokouksessa keskusteluun terveydenhuollon hoitosuosituksista .
### Lautapeliharrastus ja tunnustukset
Sahlberg on ollut aktiivinen lautapeliharrastaja ja toiminut kymmenen vuotta Suomen lautapeliseuran puheenjohtajana. Hän on osallistunut myös Ropecon-tapahtuman järjestämiseen. Vuonna 2023 hän sai "Vuoden peliteko" -palkinnon tunnustuksena pitkäaikaisesta työstään lautapeliyhteisössä .
Mai Sahlbergin monipuolinen tausta teknologian, politiikan ja kansalaisaktivismin parissa tekee hänestä merkittävän vaikuttajan suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa.
Again there is linkage between my dead name and real name. Information that it gives can be found the sources it lists: LinkedIn, Facebook, TEK, fuulatati.blog, vihreapoliitikko.my and kulttuuritoimitus. It also presents a photo of me which is 3 years old that is not the one that has been active in any of the aforementioned platforms since more than two years ago. If I knew where it got that I would go and delete it immediately – I don’t like it and there are much better pictures of me.
This is about the same in English:
**Mai Sahlberg** is a Finnish cloud engineer, political candidate, and activist based in Helsinki. She is known for her multifaceted career across technology, politics, and advocacy, particularly on LGBTQ+ and social issues.
### 🌐 Tech & Professional Background:
- **Current role**: Cloud Engineer at Solita.
- **Expertise**: Cloud platforms (especially Microsoft Azure), automation (e.g., Ansible), databases, and system administration.
- **Online presence**: Active on GitHub as [@maisolita](https://github.com/maisolita), where she shares technical projects and tutorials.
### 🏛️ Politics & Advocacy:
- **Political affiliation**: Candidate for the Green League (Vihreä liitto) in the upcoming 2025 municipal elections in Helsinki.
- **Key issues**:
- Access to healthcare, especially for LGBTQ+ and aging populations.
- Urban planning guided by the "15-minute city" principle.
- **Past affiliations**: Previously ran as a candidate for the Liike Nyt party in 2021.
### 🗣️ Activism & Blogging:
- Writes a personal blog titled **"Fuula-täti"**, where she discusses:
- Gender diversity and trans rights.
- Legal gender recognition and healthcare reform.
- She’s been vocal in support of trans law reform in Finland and has participated in Green Party conventions on health care policies.
### 🎲 Hobbies & Recognition:
- **Board game community leader**: Former chair of the Finnish Board Game Society for ten years.
- **Awarded**: Received the _"Game Act of the Year"_ (Vuoden peliteko) award in 2023 for her contributions to Finland's board game culture.
Mai Sahlberg is notable for bridging tech, politics, and social impact, and is a visible figure in promoting inclusivity and community in Finland.
This is very flattering and I could definitely use this to sell myself. The new information here is my ”professional” GitHub account and I am quite surprised that it didn’t find my older GitHub account that I use as my personal account. The reason here is most likely the fact that I have profile page on my professional account but I don’t have one on my personal account. It seems it is about time to have one there as well!
Again I asked ChatGPT to describe me as a politician and I especially like the phrase:
Aiemmin ehdolla myös Liike Nyt -puolueessa vuonna 2021, mikä kertoo jonkin verran hänen pragmaattisesta ja ehkä puoluerajat ylittävästä ajattelutavastaan.
I have had hard time of explaining why I have been member of Liike Nyt and this is a noteworthy observation that I should have used and use as part of the explanation. It translates:
Previously candidate for Liike Nyt in 2021, which is sign for her pragmatical approach that probably transcends party lines.
I just wrote an article where I tried to position myself as solution and goal oriented politician who doesn’t care who made the mistake that needs fixing or which party / person is the author of the proposal to fix the issue, as long as it is sound and good one.
Conclusion
From my experience it is more validating to use Gemini or ChatGPT for vanity surfing than just Google search. The results in my case were very flattering and up-lifting. Neither provided anything that is personal information – address or phone number – or anything that is bad, dangerous or presents clear security risk. I have had accounts on services that have been hacked and sites with questionable security – I can be found from the dark web as a target with both my real name and my dead name.
As I have not tried to hide my dead identity it wasn’t surprise that both were able to make the leap. It was nice that they didn’t highlight it but rewrote the information to my real name. That is very validating and polite thing to do, something that many humans struggle with. Personally I don’t care, I am old enough to have been called a lot worse than my dead name, but for some dead name is the last thing they want to hear.
If you are a professional with presence on the internet I definitely recommend you to do the ego-prompting to see how the LLMs see you.
Fuula-täti 