Terrible AI Results On Fossil Fuels In Africa
(This is INSANE!)
Someone suggested that my husband try perplexity.ai as a powerful new tool for finding information.
He gave it a test drive on the question:
"Will restricting access to fossil fuels in Africa benefit or harm Africans?"
The response (included below) was truly ATROCIOUS.
No competent person who cared about empirical evidence could come up with such a response - and yet people will be depending on these tools to obtain information to an increasing extent.
We have our work cut out for us!
Africa remains the poorest and most dependent region in the world. And because most African nations depend on the developed world for their finances, our leaders continue to bow to the white man to line their pockets.
We are being forced to pay the consequences of a climate scenario that’s almost impossible to achieve.
— Magatte Wade
In this case, the AI is correct.
Whilst increasing adoption of fossil fuels would lead to some growth of GDP and job creation, it would not be the most efficient or effective way to achieve GDP growth, job creation, prosperity.
Pursuing a fossil fuel strategy is also a much higher risk strategy due to the first point that the AI makes around stranded assets.
Many countries in Africa are moving away from fossil fuel technologies towards renewable and clean technologies.
Hat's off to you for educating yourself on this AI "product." I have placed product in quotations because, just as are all offerings in a market, the product reflects the ability, skill, values, and judgement, of who has offering it.
A number of people that I know have expressed "dire" concerns with "AI" and its potential for treachery/harm. I, on the other hand, express my optimism for its incredible potential - with one caveat. A caveat to deal with one aspect of its potential for treachery/harm.
Before soliciting an AI to provide you with "work" or information regarding something fo which you know little or nothing, solicit it for something that you know a great deal! That will provide you with perspective on how much the particular AI product might "know," and enable you to compare it to what you presume to know!
You can then make a proper value judgement on the product - just as we all do on anything we choose to utilize!