Posted on Feb 9, 2023
'Historical' AI chatbots aren't just inaccurate—they are dangerous
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In the grand and lengthy list of distasteful ideas, paywalling the ability to engage in “fun and interactive” conversations with AI Hitler might not rise to the very top. But it’s arguably up there. And yet countless people have already given it a shot via the chatbot app Historical Figures. The project, currently still available in Apple’s App Store, went viral last week for its exhaustive and frequently controversial list of AI profiles, including Gandhi, Einstein, Princess Diana, and Charles Manson. Despite billing itself as an educational app (the 76th most popular in the category, as of writing) appropriate for anyone over the age of 9, critics quickly derided the idea as a rushed, frequently inaccurate gimmick at best, and at worst, a cynical leverage of the burgeoning, already fraught technology that is ChatGPT.
'Historical' AI chatbots aren't just inaccurate—they are dangerous
Posted from popsci.comPosted in these groups: 
American History
World History
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Technology
Education
American History World History Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Education
Edited 3 y ago
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 3
New twist on an age old problem.
I'm reminded of a situation in the early 90s when I was in Korea supporting a Ulchi Focus Lens exercise. I was in the room with the 8th Army Commander and a new visualization system was being used (keep in mind that 30 years ago they were nowhere as ubiquitous or advanced as they are now). Simple visualization system - took properly formatted USMTF reports and plotted them on a huge display (dual 50" monitors!!).
There was a situation that started spinning the entire operations center up because two North Korean aircraft were tracked heading South, crossed the border on the Eastern side of the country and then started heading towards Seoul (this was all exercise info .. not real-world). Call was made, General arrived, orders were barked.
This went on for a few minutes before one of the company technicians for the contractors said something to the site lead who then quickly related to the leadership that ... umm.... those planes aren't there. We goofed and fat-fingered in the wrong coordinates. They are 10 miles North of the DMZ, not 10 miles South.
Lesson learned - the same thing we geeks have been saying for years. Garbage in, garbage out.
The representation is only as good as the underlying information and the problem with things like visualization, AI chat engines, etc. is that people tend to believe the 'pretty interface' even though the underlying information is wrong.
I'm reminded of a situation in the early 90s when I was in Korea supporting a Ulchi Focus Lens exercise. I was in the room with the 8th Army Commander and a new visualization system was being used (keep in mind that 30 years ago they were nowhere as ubiquitous or advanced as they are now). Simple visualization system - took properly formatted USMTF reports and plotted them on a huge display (dual 50" monitors!!).
There was a situation that started spinning the entire operations center up because two North Korean aircraft were tracked heading South, crossed the border on the Eastern side of the country and then started heading towards Seoul (this was all exercise info .. not real-world). Call was made, General arrived, orders were barked.
This went on for a few minutes before one of the company technicians for the contractors said something to the site lead who then quickly related to the leadership that ... umm.... those planes aren't there. We goofed and fat-fingered in the wrong coordinates. They are 10 miles North of the DMZ, not 10 miles South.
Lesson learned - the same thing we geeks have been saying for years. Garbage in, garbage out.
The representation is only as good as the underlying information and the problem with things like visualization, AI chat engines, etc. is that people tend to believe the 'pretty interface' even though the underlying information is wrong.
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I remember being told the new computerized 'system' entered me
as KIA. The original DD Form 1300, "REPORT OF CASUALTY" that
the company clerk had typed up as part of an 'in-house' document
for a G-1 mandated training exercise.
Somehow that document slipped into stack of real paperwork that
went to Southcom HQ. Fortunity red flags popped up. I was flown
into the Canal Zone to the Quarry Heights as 'proof of life".
At least my recon team got showers and fresh food and 3 days out
of the jungle till transport was arranged for our return to our unit.
GIGO (Garbage In - Garbage Out)
as KIA. The original DD Form 1300, "REPORT OF CASUALTY" that
the company clerk had typed up as part of an 'in-house' document
for a G-1 mandated training exercise.
Somehow that document slipped into stack of real paperwork that
went to Southcom HQ. Fortunity red flags popped up. I was flown
into the Canal Zone to the Quarry Heights as 'proof of life".
At least my recon team got showers and fresh food and 3 days out
of the jungle till transport was arranged for our return to our unit.
GIGO (Garbage In - Garbage Out)
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Isn't technology great? Nothing here you couldn't get out of books but the concept of asking a question and getting it answered by an image of whom you asked is a great leap forward. If it helps people learn history and get insight into how famous historical people thought I'm all for it. Not cheap though I'd expect.
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