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379

‘You Can’t Lick a Badger Twice’: Google Failures Highlight a Fundamental AI Flaw (www.wired.com)

submitted 4 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

111 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Archived link: https://archive.ph/Vjl1M

Here’s a nice little distraction from your workday: Head to Google, type in any made-up phrase, add the word “meaning,” and search. Behold! Google’s AI Overviews will not only confirm that your gibberish is a real saying, it will also tell you what it means and how it was derived.

This is genuinely fun, and you can find lots of examples on social media. In the world of AI Overviews, “a loose dog won't surf” is “a playful way of saying that something is not likely to happen or that something is not going to work out.” The invented phrase “wired is as wired does” is an idiom that means “someone's behavior or characteristics are a direct result of their inherent nature or ‘wiring,’ much like a computer's function is determined by its physical connections.”

It all sounds perfectly plausible, delivered with unwavering confidence. Google even provides reference links in some cases, giving the response an added sheen of authority. It’s also wrong, at least in the sense that the overview creates the impression that these are common phrases and not a bunch of random words thrown together. And while it’s silly that AI Overviews thinks “never throw a poodle at a pig” is a proverb with a biblical derivation, it’s also a tidy encapsulation of where generative AI still falls short.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

Didn't work for me. A lot of these 'gotcha' AI moments seem to only work for a small percentage of users, before being noticed and fixed. Not including the more frequent examples that are just outright lies, but get upvoted anyway because 'AI bad'

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 weeks ago

I found that trying "some-nonsense-phrase meaning" won't always trigger the idiom interpretation, but you can often change it to something more saying-like.

I also found that trying in incognito mode had better results, so perhaps it's also affected by your settings. Maybe it's regional as well, or based on your search result. And, as AI's non-deterministic, you can't expect it to always work.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 weeks ago

Tried it. Afraid this didn't happen, and the AI was very clear the phrase is unknown. Maybe I did it wrong or something?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 weeks ago

I just tested it on Bing too, for shits and giggles

you can't butter the whole world's bread meaning

The phrase "you can't butter the whole world's bread" means that one cannot have everything

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 weeks ago

The idiom "a lemon in the hand is worth the boat you rode in on" conveys a similar meaning to the idiom "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". It emphasizes that it's better to appreciate what you have and avoid unnecessary risks or changes, as a loss of a current advantage may not be compensated by a potential future gain. The "lemon" represents something undesirable or less valuable, but the "boat" represents something that could potentially be better but is not guaranteed.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

The saying "better a donkey than an ass" plays on the dual meaning of the word "ass." It suggests that being called a donkey is less offensive than being called an ass, which can be used as an insult meaning stupid or foolish. The phrase highlights the contrast between the animal donkey, often seen as a hardworking and steady companion, and the derogatory use of "ass" in everyday language.

Yep, it does work

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

It didn't work for me. Why not?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 weeks ago

Worked for me, but I couldn’t include any names or swearing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

One arm hair in the hand is better than two in the bush

[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 weeks ago (4 children)

You may not even be able to lick a badger once, if it's already angry. Which it will be because it's a fuckin' badger.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

http://www.newforestexplorersguide.co.uk/wildlife/mammals/badgers/grooming.html

Mutual grooming between a mixture of adults and cubs serves the same function, but additionally is surely a sign of affection that strengthens the bond between the animals.

A variety of grooming postures are adopted by badgers but to onlookers, the one that is most likely to raise a smile involves the badger sitting or lying back on its haunches and, with seemingly not a care in the world (and with all hints of modesty forgotten), enjoying prolonged scratches and nibbles at its under-parts and nether regions.

That being said, that's the European badger. Apparently the American badger isn't very social:

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/comparison/american-badger-vs-european-badger-differences/

American badger: Nocturnal unless in remote areas; powerful digger and generally more solitary than other species. Frequently hunts with coyotes.

European badger: Digs complicated dens and burrows with their familial group; one of the most social badger species. Depending on location, hibernation may occur.