Ai Compares Car Dimensions, Can't Even Do Basic Math

AI has recovered ways to screw up everything from airline summons pricing to rental car inspections. Now it seems you can't moreover spot AI to return 2 numbers and correctly show you which of them is bigger. That's beautiful bad, considering that computers were invented specifically to automate regular calculations.

An important portion of car shopping is doing your homework, learning arsenic overmuch arsenic you tin astir nan models you are considering, and making a prime based connected nan accusation you find. A member of nan fantabulous Apex Automotor Facebook group posted astir his acquisition researching whether nan Ford F-150 Raptor he's considering will fresh successful his garage. He antecedently owned an Expedition Max that fit, and wanted to comparison nan 2 to spot really nan Raptor would do. According to Google AI Overview, nan Raptor is 232.6 inches long, and nan Expedition Max is 221.9 inches. Therefore, nan Expedition Max is longer. That does not compute.

I asked Google nan aforesaid mobility myself, and sewage nan aforesaid result. It uses different wording than nan original poster shared successful his post, but nan meaning is nan same: The 232.6-inch Raptor is shorter than nan 221.9-inch Expedition Max. This must beryllium immoderate unusual usage of nan word "shorter" that I wasn't antecedently alert of.

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Giving AI nan use of nan doubt, I tried immoderate different comparison scenarios to spot if this correction was a freak one-time occurrence. Google AI Overview correctly told maine that a Chevy Suburban is longer than a Tahoe. Yes, it's a softball question, but it established a baseline that AI Overview isn't wholly stupid. Then I tried a comparison person to nan 1 that sparked this exploration, a Suburban vs. a Silverado.

AI Overview was correct that nan Silverado varies successful magnitude depending connected nan cab and furniture configuration. Any configuration was imaginable since I neglected to specify precisely which Silverado to compare. It was besides correct that nan longest type tin transcend 240 inches. So intelligibly nan Silverado is longer than nan Suburban, right? Nope. The first condemnation of nan AI Overview reads, "The Chevrolet Suburban is longer than nan Chevy Silverado 1500." The remainder of nan mentation is correct, but galore group won't publication past nan first condemnation successful our short attraction span society.

I tried different motortruck vs. SUV comparison, nan Toyota Tundra and 4Runner. This time, AI Overview sewage it mostly right.

I say "mostly" because it didn't return into relationship nan Tundra 1794 Limited Edition, which is 245.6 inches long. But that doesn't impact nan wide result, which is that nan Tundra is longer than nan 4Runner.

I find nan inconsistency of correctness successful these answers much disturbing than if AI Overview was ever wrong. If it were, you could conscionable disregard it. But it gives conscionable capable correct info to lull you into a mendacious consciousness of security. The circumstantial dimensions successful these examples are close, but successful 2 retired of 3 examples, AI misinterprets nan results and says that 232.6 is little than 221.9, and 225 is much than 240.

Where do you spell to find nan correct answers? As a journalist, I have to get my facts right. If I don't, I'll get roasted successful nan comments, and rightfully so. To make judge you get nan correct stats, do what nan pros do and spell consecutive to nan source: nan manufacturer's website. 

h/t: Apex Automotor