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So I was curious, in normal google search (with the AI summary) I put in "why is rum healthy" I got this, and then it listed a bunch of benefits: "Rum, when con

So I was curious, in normal google search (with the AI summary) I put in "why is rum healthy" I got this, and then it listed a bunch of benefits: "Rum, when consumed in moderation, may offer a few potential health benefits. These include possible positive effects on heart health due to its potential to increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and the presence of antioxidants in darker rums, which may be beneficial." But if I just simply remove the "why" it clearly states "Rum is an alcoholic beverage that does not have any significant health benefits." Man I love so much that we are pushing this technology that is clearly just "garbage in, garbage out". Side Note: totally now going to tell my doctor I have been drinking more rum next time we do blood work if my good cholesterol is still a bit low. I am sure he is going to be thrilled. I wonder if I could buy rum with my HSA if I had a screenshot of this response... (\s if really necessary)

mattmaroon 1y ago
Well, both of those are arguments humans have repeated quite a bit. The first one is pretty weak (and you can guess who funded the “science” behind it) but it is believed by many. Asking AI to tell reality from fiction is a bit much when the humans it gets its info from can’t, but this is at least not ridiculous.
- nerdjon 1y ago
  > Asking AI to tell reality from fiction is a bit much when the humans it gets its info from can’t, but this is at least not ridiculous. I agree with that, but the problem is that it is being positioned as a reliable source of information. And is being treated as such. Google's disclaimer "AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more" only shows up if you click the button to show more of the response, is smaller text, a light gray, and clearly overshadowed by the button with lights rotating around it to do a deep dive. The problem is just how easy it is to "lead on" one of these models. By simply stating a search like "why is rum healthy" implies that I already think it is healthy so of course it leads into that but that is why this is so broken. But "is rum healthy" actually provides a more factual answer: > Rum is an alcoholic beverage that does not have any significant health benefits. While some studies have suggested potential benefits, such as improved blood circulation and reduced risk of heart disease, these findings are often based on limited evidence and have not been widely accepted by the medical community.
  - skeledrew 1y ago
    > the problem is that it is being positioned as a reliable source of information. And is being treated as such That's because of SEO. Top results are assumed reliable, because there is - currently - no other way to ascertain reliability in an efficient and scalable way, and the top results are sites that have optimized their content and keywords to be in the top results.
- xwolfi 1y ago
  Rum is a social lubricant and it is healthy to be relaxed in social settings... quite frankly as long as they dont say health benefit increase proportionally with consumption, I see no problem saying alcohol is healthy. Or, like, why is it allowed, why was it created, why do we drink it all the time with no visible issue (beyond abuse).
  - gf000 1y ago
    It's one of the most reliably reproducible facts of science that there is no healthy amount of alcohol consumption. Of course that doesn't mean we should 100% stop doing so, I believe that the occasional social gathering with some alcohol probably has more positives all together than staying home depressed (though of course this is not an exclusive or situation), but we should definitely not lie that it is somehow healthy. It's a risk factor, and people do regularly take risks, like driving a car.
amarcheschi 1y ago
If I remove why and search is rum healthy, I get this (only the beginning): While not a health drink, moderate rum consumption may offer some potential benefits. These include supporting cardiovascular health, aiding digestion, and potentially offering some antioxidant properties. However, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems.

mattmaroon 1y ago

Well, both of those are arguments humans have repeated quite a bit. The first one is pretty weak (and you can guess who funded the “science” behind it) but it is believed by many. Asking AI to tell reality from fiction is a bit much when the humans it gets its info from can’t, but this is at least not ridiculous.

nerdjon 1y ago
> Asking AI to tell reality from fiction is a bit much when the humans it gets its info from can’t, but this is at least not ridiculous. I agree with that, but the problem is that it is being positioned as a reliable source of information. And is being treated as such. Google's disclaimer "AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more" only shows up if you click the button to show more of the response, is smaller text, a light gray, and clearly overshadowed by the button with lights rotating around it to do a deep dive. The problem is just how easy it is to "lead on" one of these models. By simply stating a search like "why is rum healthy" implies that I already think it is healthy so of course it leads into that but that is why this is so broken. But "is rum healthy" actually provides a more factual answer: > Rum is an alcoholic beverage that does not have any significant health benefits. While some studies have suggested potential benefits, such as improved blood circulation and reduced risk of heart disease, these findings are often based on limited evidence and have not been widely accepted by the medical community.
- skeledrew 1y ago
  > the problem is that it is being positioned as a reliable source of information. And is being treated as such That's because of SEO. Top results are assumed reliable, because there is - currently - no other way to ascertain reliability in an efficient and scalable way, and the top results are sites that have optimized their content and keywords to be in the top results.
xwolfi 1y ago
Rum is a social lubricant and it is healthy to be relaxed in social settings... quite frankly as long as they dont say health benefit increase proportionally with consumption, I see no problem saying alcohol is healthy. Or, like, why is it allowed, why was it created, why do we drink it all the time with no visible issue (beyond abuse).
- gf000 1y ago
  It's one of the most reliably reproducible facts of science that there is no healthy amount of alcohol consumption. Of course that doesn't mean we should 100% stop doing so, I believe that the occasional social gathering with some alcohol probably has more positives all together than staying home depressed (though of course this is not an exclusive or situation), but we should definitely not lie that it is somehow healthy. It's a risk factor, and people do regularly take risks, like driving a car.

amarcheschi 1y ago

If I remove why and search is rum healthy, I get this (only the beginning): While not a health drink, moderate rum consumption may offer some potential benefits. These include supporting cardiovascular health, aiding digestion, and potentially offering some antioxidant properties. However, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems.