When AI Starts ‘Hallucinating’, You’re Likely Already Along for the Ride

When AI chatbots receive a query, oftentimes, it won’t admit it doesn’t know.

Human shaped robot Ameca of British manufacturer Engineered Arts interacts with visitors in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 6, 2023. Johannes Simon/Getty Images

Imagine for a moment you’re looking for some health tips.

Instead of Googling, you turn to the newest AI chatbot, which makes a simple suggestion: stop eating “sodium chloride” (table salt) and instead eat “sodium bromide”—a substance that can cause toxicity and affect the respiratory, nervous, and hormonal systems.