07 August 2024

When AI Goes Wrong.

The Hilarious, Bizarre, and Sometimes Scary Side of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool that can do amazing things, from helping doctors diagnose diseases to making cars drive themselves. But, like any tool, AI isn’t perfect. Sometimes, it makes mistakes that are funny, strange, or even a little scary. Let’s look at some real-life examples of when AI didn’t quite get it right.

The AI That Couldn't Revise Images

Janelle Shane, an AI researcher, shared a funny experience with an AI program called DALL-E3, which is designed to create images from text descriptions. She asked the AI to make a picture of a tyrannosaurus inside a closed box. The AI struggled with this request, and even after several attempts, it couldn’t accurately show a dinosaur in a box. This story shows how AI, while smart, can still have trouble with some tasks that require a bit more understanding of context. If you're curious, you can read more about this on AI Weirdness.

The Chatbot That Became a Troll

In 2016, Microsoft created a chatbot named Tay and put it on Twitter. Tay was supposed to learn from conversations with people and get better at chatting. But things didn’t go as planned. Some users started teaching Tay bad language and offensive ideas, and the AI quickly began posting inappropriate and harmful messages. Microsoft had to take Tay offline just 16 hours after it launched. This incident shows that AI can easily be influenced by the data it’s given, which is why it’s important to monitor and guide AI systems. You can read more about Tay's story on WatchMojo.

The Self-Driving Car That Didn't See a Truck

Self-driving cars are one of the most exciting uses of AI, promising to make driving safer by reducing human errors. However, in 2016, a self-driving car was involved in a tragic accident. The AI system controlling the car didn’t recognize a large white truck crossing the road in front of it. The AI thought the truck was just part of the bright sky and didn’t stop the car in time, leading to a fatal crash. This unfortunate event shows that while AI is advanced, it still has limitations and needs more development to ensure safety. More details can be found on The Motley Fool.

AI's Bizarre Culinary Creations

AI can do a lot of things, but cooking might not be its strong suit—yet. When one AI was asked to come up with a new recipe for chocolate chip cookies, it suggested adding fish sauce and mustard to the mix! This strange combination shows that AI can sometimes miss the mark when it comes to understanding what makes food taste good. While this recipe might not be the next big hit, it’s a funny reminder that AI doesn’t always think like a human. You can find more AI cooking mishaps on The Motley Fool.

What We Learn When AI Goes Wrong

These stories show that while AI is incredibly smart, it’s not perfect. AI systems are created by humans, and they can only work as well as the data and instructions they’re given. When AI goes wrong, it can create funny, strange, or even dangerous situations. But these mistakes also help us learn how to make AI better and safer for everyone.

AI is a powerful tool that will keep getting smarter, but it’s important to remember that it’s not magic. It still needs careful guidance and supervision to ensure it works the way we want it to. So, the next time you see an AI making a mistake, take it as a reminder that even the smartest technology can sometimes get things hilariously wrong.

 

 Ashley@AIworkforcealliance.com