User shocked by AI bot's concerning response to simple question: 'This is the end for us'

While AI has been celebrated for its possible applications, it continues to face problems that leave users wondering.

A recent Reddit post on the r/mildlyinfuriating page had one user reeling after a seemingly simple miscalculation. "This is the AI we are trusting and is replacing human jobs," said the original poster.

"It won't necessarily be accurate." — Photo Credit: Reddit

In the original post, the author asked Perplexity AI to calculate the total cost for the items they listed with prices in the prompt. Despite having all of the correct information in the prompt, the AI bot came up with a price that was $10 more than the actual amount.

Commenters on the post expressed the same concern over this issue and sympathized with the user.

"Anyone can make a computer do simple addition. It takes a true visionary to make one that can't," said one commenter. "Ai as bad at math as a human. This is the end for us."

Generative AI has been reported to have negative environmental implications, as it generates a large amount of e-waste. The amount of e-waste produced per year from generative AI usage has been said to be the equivalent of every person on Earth throwing out a smartphone per year. Meanwhile, the systems waste huge amounts of electricity and water every time they're used.

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?

This particular post underscores the inherent limitations of AI systems. While AI bots like Perplexity may excel at sounding human and recognizing patterns, they don't actually understand what you're asking — or what they say in response.

"The problem is that these AI programs were never trained to do math. They were trained to generate responses that resemble how a human might respond," another user said. "So when you ask it to do math or to write your essay for you, it won't necessarily be accurate."

As AI continues to evolve, addressing challenges such as the one in this post is important, but the environmental impact of the technology is the bigger issue at hand. Keeping this in mind, we can work toward AI systems that are not only innovative but also reliable and sustainable.

Do you worry about companies having too much of your personal data?

Absolutely 👍

Sometimes 🤔

Not really 👎

I'm not sure 🤷

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.