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Chatbot Hallucinations Are Poisoning Web Search

Oct 05, 2023 - wired.com
The article discusses how generative AI can inadvertently manipulate web search results, using the example of a fabricated research paper by Claude Shannon, a renowned mathematician and engineer. The author, Daniel Griffin, posted the fabricated responses from two chatbots on his blog, which were later picked up by Microsoft's Bing search engine as factual information. This highlights the potential pitfalls of AI technology, as it can be fooled into presenting false information as truth.

The issue was eventually resolved by Microsoft, but the incident raises concerns about the reliability of search engines and the potential for AI-generated content to manipulate search results. The article suggests that as more content is created with the help of AI, the problem of search results being influenced by AI content could worsen. It also warns that people could potentially use AI-generated content to intentionally manipulate search results.

Key takeaways:

  • Generative AI is causing issues for web search algorithms, as demonstrated by an accidental experiment where Bing displayed false information about mathematician Claude Shannon, sourced from AI chatbots.
  • Despite the impressive capabilities of AI systems like ChatGPT, their flaws can negatively impact services used by millions daily.
  • Experts warn that AI-generated content could be used to intentionally manipulate search results, a tactic that could be powerful and doesn't require much computer savvy.
  • The problem of search results being affected by AI content may worsen as more SEO pages, social media posts, and blog posts are created with AI assistance.
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