The IoT/AI WTF thread

[Jer]

Since we appear to be entering a boom time for unnecessary and/or inappropriate use of internet connectivity and AI in random devices, I thought a place to share some of this nonsense and discuss it would make sense.

A couple of examples that recently caught my eye:

‘Chasing the ideal gut’: poop-tracking cameras claim to give health insights. Are they necessary?

Products like Dekoda can run up to $600 and photograph your every bowel movement – but who owns that data?

www.theguardian.com

One of several smart toilets that use a camera and AI to analyze your pee and poo.

General Motors will integrate AI into its cars, plus new hands-free assist

Do we want LLMs in our cars? GM thinks we do.

arstechnica.com

GM trying to rush AI into their vehicles and making broad claims about “50-state, all weather conditions, hands-free auto-driving” in the immediate future despite the sputtering out of their Cruise initiative.

Internet-connected beds and kitchen appliances are other superfluous areas that people keep wanting to crack, too. Ridiculous.

 

[Jer]

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory

An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC

www.bbc.co.uk

Not on a device, but AI summaries of news stories are misleading nearly half the time, regardless of the AI platform used. And, of course, more and more people are getting their news this way every day. Lovely.

 

[john152]

slope game Since we appear to be entering a boom time for unnecessary and/or inappropriate use of internet connectivity and AI in random devices, I thought a place to share some of this nonsense and discuss it would make sense.

A couple of examples that recently caught my eye:

‘Chasing the ideal gut’: poop-tracking cameras claim to give health insights. Are they necessary?

Products like Dekoda can run up to $600 and photograph your every bowel movement – but who owns that data?

www.theguardian.com

One of several smart toilets that use a camera and AI to analyze your pee and poo.

General Motors will integrate AI into its cars, plus new hands-free assist

Do we want LLMs in our cars? GM thinks we do.

arstechnica.com

GM trying to rush AI into their vehicles and making broad claims about “50-state, all weather conditions, hands-free auto-driving” in the immediate future despite the sputtering out of their Cruise initiative.

Internet-connected beds and kitchen appliances are other superfluous areas that people keep wanting to crack, too. Ridiculous.

Feels like “AI everywhere” has replaced “does this actually need to exist?” Smart toilets, AI cars, connected beds… lots of data collection, very little clear benefit. Just because we can add AI doesn’t mean we should.

 

[LuisCohen]

On dirait vraiment qu’on entre dans une période où l’IA et la connexion internet sont ajoutées à tout et n’importe quoi, souvent sans réelle utilité. Entre les toilettes intelligentes qui analysent nos selles ou les voitures de GM avec IA et conduite mains libres prometteuse mais pas encore fiable, on se demande parfois si tout cela est nécessaire. Même les lits ou les appareils de cuisine connectés semblent relever plus du gadget que du progrès réel. C’est fascinant mais aussi un peu inquiétant, surtout quand on pense à la collecte de données et à la sécurité.