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AI chatbots have had a long history of hallucinating, and Reddit’s version, called Answers, has now joined the list after it recommended heroin to a user seeking pain relief.
As 404Media reports, the issue was flagged by a healthcare worker on a subreddit for moderators. For chronic pain, the user caught Answers suggesting a post that claimed “Heroin, ironically, has saved my life in those instances.”
In another question regarding pain relief, the user found the chatbot recommending kratom, a tree extract that’s illegal in multiple states. The FDA has also warned against it “because of the risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder.”
Reddit Answers works like Gemini or ChatGPT, except it pulls information from its own user-generated content. Initially, it opened in a separate tab from the homepage, but recently, Reddit has been testing the chatbot within conversations.
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The user who reported the issue found Reddit Answers posting harmful medical advice under health-related subreddits, and the moderators there didn’t have the option to disable it. After the user and 404Media raised their concerns with Reddit, the platform decided to stop it from appearing under sensitive discussions.
Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT have also provided questionable health advice, like using “non-toxic glue” on pizzas to keep the cheese from sliding off.
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Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
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