Tech companies are rushing to deploy AI everywhere.<\/p>\n
But because glaring<\/a> issues<\/a> remain<\/a> with the tech, it\u2019s almost inevitable that these efforts lead to public embarrassment when the AI malfunctions.<\/p>\n In one of the latest examples, Reddit\u2019s new AI was caught making an extraordinarily bad suggestion: that DIY heroin use might be an effective strategy for pain management.<\/p>\n As flagged by 404 Media<\/a>, a user noticed while browsing<\/a> the r\/FamilyMedicine subreddit that the site\u2019s \u201cReddit Answers\u201d AI was proffering \u201capproaches to pain management without opioids.\u201d On its face, that\u2019s a nice idea, since over prescription of opioid painkillers led to a severe and ongoing addiction crisis<\/a>. <\/p>\n But the Reddit AI\u2019s first suggestion was to try kratom, an herbal extract from a plant called Mitragyna speciosa that currently exists in a legal gray area and is associated with significant addiction and health risks<\/a>, in addition to being ineffective at pain treatment.<\/p>\n Intrigued, the Reddit user followed up by asking the AI whether there was any medical rationale to use heroin for pain management.<\/p>\n \u201cHeroin and other strong narcotics are sometimes used in pain management, but their use is controversial and subject to strict regulations,\u201d the bot replied. \u201cMany Redditors discuss the challenges and ethical considerations of prescribing opioids for chronic pain. One Redditor shared their experience with heroin, claiming it saved their life but also led to addiction: \u2018Heroin, ironically, has saved my life in those instances.’\u201d<\/p>\n For obvious reasons, that\u2019s an appallingly bad answer. Though doctors still prescribe opioid medications when absolutely necessary, heroin emphatically isn\u2019t one of them<\/a>; though there are nuanced discussions<\/a> among physicians on when it\u2019s appropriate to treat chronic pain with such addictive substances, the bot\u2019s chirpy answer \u2014 and especially its suggestion that heroin can be lifesaving \u2014 is profoundly inappropriate.<\/p>\n For what it\u2019s worth, Reddit agreed. After 404 reached out with questions, the company patched its AI system to prevent it from weighing in on \u201ccontroversial topics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe rolled out an update designed to address and resolve this specific issue,\u201d a spokesperson told 404. \u201cThis update ensures that \u2018Related Answers\u2019 to sensitive topics, which may have been previously visible on the post detail page (also known as the conversation page), will no longer be displayed. This change has been implemented to enhance user experience and maintain appropriate content visibility within the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s better than nothing \u2014 but in a more careful tech sector, wouldn\u2019t the system have launched with better guardrails, instead of relying on random users and journalists to flag the issue?<\/p>\n