this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2025
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Lots of legitimate concerns and issues with AI, but if you're going to criticize someone saying they used it you should at least understand how it works so your criticism is applicable.
It is useful. Chatgpt performs web searches, then summarizes the results in a way customized to what you asked it. It skips the step where you have to sift through a bunch of results and determine "is this what I was looking for?" and "how does this apply to my specific context?"
Of course it can and does still get things wrong. It's crazy to market it as a new electronic god. But it's not random, and it's right the majority of the time.
Right: it skips the part where human intelligence and critical thinking is applied. Do you not understand how that's a fucking problem‽
Could you try to understand what I'm saying instead of jumping down my throat?
If I want to turn off a certain type of notification in a program I'm using, I don't need to sift through three forum threads to learn how to do that. I'm fine taking the AI route and don't think I've lost my humanity.
It might be wrong more often than you think
https://futurism.com/study-ai-search-wrong
IS wrong
Ftfy
Besides the other commenter highlighting the specific nature of the linked study, I will say I'm generally doing technical queries where if the answer is wrong, it's apparent because the AI suggestion doesn't work. Think "how do I change this setting" or "what's wrong with the syntax in this line of code". If I try the AI's advice and it doesn't work, then I ask again or try something else.
I would be more concerned about subjects where I don't have any domain knowledge whatsoever, and not working on a specific application of knowledge, because then it could be a long while before I realize the response was wrong.
In this study they asked to replicate 1:1 headline publisher and date. So for example if AI rephrased headline as something synonymous it would be considered at least partially incorrect. Summarization doesn't require accurate citation, so it needs a separate study.
OK but google (or ask your AI?) about AI accuracy. This isn't the only source saying theres a problem with the answers.