AI thinks 71.6% of Americans are overweight

One of the worst applications of AI is Gemini sabotaging Google search results. Especially when Gemini’s overviews are laughably false. 

For example: 

I decided to use the ol’ (un)reliable Google to get an accurate percentage of how many Americans are overweight for an email I was writing. 

Not a difficult search query—well, at least not for humans. 

This search appeared to make Gemini completely malfunction though. 

Y’see, there was a CDC study from 2021 that found that over 40% of Americans are overweight. The study also found that 31% of Americans are obese. And another 9.4% suffer from extreme obesity. 

Now, the study makes it crystal clear to any human set of eyes that only about 40% of Americans are overweight or obese. (Wow, can you believe I typed “only” before dropping a stat that says 2 out of every 5 Americans are overweight—O, how fareth we hath fallen!) 

However, AI doesn’t have eyes. 

And so, here’s what Gemini’s AI overview said to, again, a simple-as-dirt search query:

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2021-2023, approximately 71.6% of American adults aged 20 or older were overweight or obese. This translates to around 152 million individuals.

Here's a breakdown by category:

Overweight: 40.3% (84 million), Obese: 31.3% (68 million), and Severe obesity: 9.4% (20 million).

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Hahahahaha. 

For some reason, Gemini in its brilliant AI slop, decided, for some unknown reason, to add two of the percentages together: 40.3% and 31.3%. 

These two percentages combined come to the 71.6% number it so confidently stated. The 84 million and 68 million also add up nicely to 152 million—another number it stated with the utmost confidence. 

Why did it decide to add these two up?

No idea. 

Better yet: Why did it decide NOT to include the other percentage, 9.4%?

No idea. 

And best of all: Why did it so confidently state false numbers that paint humanity in an even lazier and fatter way than we already are collectively? 

Well, I do have an idea here, especially because we’re talking about Gemini:

Gemini has a vested interest in making humans appear fatter, sicker, lazier, and more useless than we are!

Whether this is caused by AI itself or by Google’s dirty little hands in it is yet to be seen. But the dystopian overtones are there. 

Or… 

It could also be that Gemini is just dumber than a kindergartener. 

I guess we’ll find out as time dances on. 

However, this also brings up an important learning lesson: 

Relying too much on any external tool, especially AI and its instantly gratifying slop, is a surefire way to undermine your business, your fulfillment, and your sense of purpose. 

I know it’s tempting to “delegate” (if you can even call it that since delegating is dependent on another person and not a robot), say, your email marketing to AI. You might even convince yourself that the AI slop it calls copy is good and persuasive. 

But it’s the antithesis to real persuasion because it reeks of inauthenticity. Inauthenticity already makes people’s spidey senses tingle… and humans ain’t nothing if we aren’t adaptable. 

In simpler words: 

We’re only going to get better at detecting the differences between AI slop and humanity. Any short-term benefit gained from “delegating” mayhap the single most personal and humane and persuasive marketing channel can only crush you in the long-term.

Face this temptation lightly. Like all temptations, acknowledging it, then defying strengthens your resolve. 

And who knows - we might just need all the resolve we can get in The Great War of Humans & Robots—coming soon to a theater near you?

Anywho: 

Hit reply if you wanna see how much more effective a human writer is when it comes to persuasion and sales and growth and freedom. 

John