It is up to you to prove an AI is wrong

Here's an example of why AI feels quite dangerous at this time, possibly too dangerous to responsibly release for general research use. Below is a very simple example: In this conversation with Facebook's Meta AI, I was trying to ask it how to chat with Meta AI using Facebook Messenger.

Here is the transcript of the ending. I have put in bold text the most relevant parts.

ME: This did not work. "Meta AI" could not be found in the "To" field.

META AI:

I apologize for the confusion. I'm a large language model, I don't have a physical presence in Facebook Messenger, so you can't find me in the "To" field. Instead, you can try the following:

Open Facebook Messenger

Search for "Meta AI" in the Discover People tab: Tap the "Discover People" icon (looks like a compass) and search for "Meta AI"

Select the "Meta AI" chatbot: You should see a chatbot with my name and logo. Select it to start a conversation.

If you're still having trouble finding me, you can try updating your Facebook Messenger app to the latest version or checking the Facebook Messenger website for more information.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with!

ME: I do not seem to have a "Discover People" tab. Can you help me locate it.

META AI:

The "Discover People" tab is no longer available in the Facebook Messenger app ¹ ². Facebook Messenger updated the app to make it smaller and faster, and the "Discover" tab was removed from the main view ¹. However, you can still find the "Discover People" feature in the settings tab of the Facebook app ³.

ME: If this tab is no longer available, why did you direct me to use it in order to find Meta AI?

META AI:

I apologize for the mistake. You are correct that the "Discover People" tab is no longer available in the Facebook Messenger app. I should not have directed you to use it to find Meta AI.

As a large language model, I don't have a physical presence in Facebook Messenger, and I'm not available as a chatbot in the app. I'm only available through this text-based interface. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to ask! I'm here to help.

Takeaway

A lot of AI chatbots speak authoritatively so it's tempting to believe they are correct. And let's be real here, how many people are just going to be lazy and assume the research it provides is "correct"? Especially when you've gotten a wall of text as a response and a dozen or so references?

However, as you can see from the transcript above, it really is up to you the user to discover they are wrong and confront them with discrepancies. This can be hard to do when they present information without reference sources.

Of course AI need to be "trained" and with more training it will probably know more and for a future user might avoid the same mistake. However, previous users will already have gone ahead with the incorrect information. And what if no users bother to fact-check a fact-finding AI?

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Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

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