myrmepropagandist
There was a time when I would simply google the numbers on a pill:
"123 pill"
And the first response google gave I'd cheerfully take. I almost did it again now. But then I stopped. Oh no no no.
Because, knowing if the pill is my thyroid medicine, or antihistamine... uh. That maters.
I could sit there dying of an allergic reaction by the side of the road.
It really sucks that search can't be trusted.
(I don't need alternate search engine recommendations.*)
Veronica Olsen 🏳️🌈🇳🇴🌻
@amanda @futurebird He's wheelchair-bound and doesn't get out much, so when I visit he always has a lot to talk about. We almost always end up talking about some topic that's been on his mind. Often it involves historical facts, and he sometimes pulls up a search to check some year or other factoid. I tend to double-check on my phone. I'm waiting for a good teaching moment, but there hasn't been enough instances of this yet since AI "took over". It's really hard to change topic with him though.
Dr. Eric J. Fielding, PhD
@veronica @amanda @futurebird A big problem with the new AI search summaries is the AI generates text that looks like regular English text, but it is not reliable for the facts. People who are not familiar with the AI flaws can be fooled.
Veronica Olsen 🏳️🌈🇳🇴🌻
@futurebird I mean, I know about this problem with Google. My dad does not. He is 73 and a very reluctant user of the internet and "modern" technology.
Like me, he lovers to learn stuff though, and is curious by nature. He has owned *so* many editions of paper encyclopaedias. These days he mostly uses the default Google search feature on his tablet. I really need to have a conversation with him about what AI is doing to the reliability of the parts of the internet we used to (somewhat) trust.
Amanda Bee
@veronica @futurebird I'm curious whenever he sees it himself. I feel like so much gen AI chum is just bad. An article titled "when to prune an apricot tree" has ten paragraphs on the principles of pruning, heavy on the hand waving, light on the actual guidance about where on a branch to cut. Followed by an equally empty section on what fruit is.
myrmepropagandist
I am alarmed by this daily. But when I point it out to other people they just sort of dully nod. I feel there has been a significant shift. Whole categories of information that were about 99.5 percent reliable are now only 80 percent or 70 percent. That's a big difference.
Those are just spitball numbers but AI is just WRONG about 1/20 times. Too much.
Amanda Bee
@futurebird I have to remind myself that "Let Me Google That For You" was a real website, that was sincere in its snark.
Nazo
@amanda @futurebird I was just running into this a bit ago. Someone literally said that on a post on my timeline earlier and I couldn't help but to think that there is now a significant problem with that...
It's not just the fake "AI" stuff though! Their entire methodology of indexing and searching has progressively grown worse over the years. It's now very hard to find something that has even the words you've searched actually in the actual results sometimes even on non-"AI" search engines.
myrmepropagandist
@asakiyume @nazokiyoubinbou @amanda
There is something about that that really triggers me. "triggers" in the original meaning. It sets me right off.
And I can recognize that I'm being ... sensitive. But, I also think I have a point. People (and their pet systems and machines) who what to tell you what you really want and who you really are? That kind of manipulation is the worst.
And it will work on anyone given enough time. Especially those who think they are immune.
Asakiyume
@futurebird @nazokiyoubinbou @amanda
Right: they will straight up ignore your search parameters. Why do you want to search on that thing? You want this other thing, surely.
myrmepropagandist
@asakiyume @nazokiyoubinbou @amanda
Oh & they won't even be selling 18th c. lace, just lace generally, & wedding dresses. Our data show that's the *only* reason you'd be searching for lace. (Unless you are some kind of freak.)
This is about lace for your wedding now. Here is a package deal for your mandatory bridesmaids, it even has "18th Century Lace" in the title of the page. A jolly image of boring happy women with 11 fingers (not wearing lace) to greet you. Such a personalized touch.
Asakiyume
@nazokiyoubinbou @amanda @futurebird
ETA (sorry to do this to you, but!) Turns out this example does get real search results, so not the best illustration for my point but *in general* it's true.
Yes, it used to be if you searched on, say, 18th c. lace, you'd get articles on it, descriptions of it, history pieces, and yes, also people selling it. Now that last is the first two pages of any google results. If you want information, you pretty much always have to type [thing] + Wikipedia.
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