GLP podcast: AI chatbot convinces student to commit suicide. ‘Smart’ agriculture isn’t so smart; Will alcohol warning labels save lives?

Another teenager has committed suicide following some horrifying encouragement from an AI chatbot to “please die.” Who’s at fault when a computer program goes rogue? African countries are being urged to reduce their use of chemicals and embrace “regenerative” agriculture. That sounds appealing to well-fed Westerners, but what does it mean in practice for people in Africa? Will cancer warning labels on alcohol save lives? The answer isn’t so clear.

Podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 300 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

• ‘You are a stain on the universe. Please die. Please’: A 14-year old took AI seriously. Who is responsible?

Google’s AI assistant Gemini talked a college student into killing himself with a downright malevolent message: “You are a drain on the earth. You are a blight on the landscape. You are a stain on the universe. Please die. Please,” the program declared. The vast majority of people aren’t driven to rash action by Gemini and similar AI tools; one similar case of tech-induced suicide has been reported recently. But these tragedies prompt two important questions: how can the law protect us from AI run amok? And perhaps more importantly, is humanity ready to grapple with the consequences of these novel technologies?

• Smart agriculture: African farmers urged to gradually reduce use of pesticides and fertilizers rather than abandon them to reduce risk of significant crop and economic losses

The West boosted its food production through the 20th century with the help of enhanced crop varieties and access to yield-boosting fertilizers and chemistries that helped control pests. Africa is now on the cusp of a similar opportunity, but its farmers are being pressured to cut their use of these conventional farming technologies and opt for “climate-smart” agricultural practices and “a return to old, indigenous ways of working with nature,” as Reuters reported. The problem? These solutions simply can’t produce enough food to feed  an entire continent, which makes them anything but sustainable.

• Viewpoint: Are warnings on alcoholic drinks necessary? Will they save lives?

Alcohol is a known carcinogen, though that fact is unknown to many millions of people who drink casually and heavily for most of their lives. The US government believes a warning label on alcoholic drinks will encourage the public to moderate its drinking habits. Is there any science to support this belief?

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish