Pak ‘n’ Save – a supermarket in New Zealand – criticised the “small minority” of users who used “the tool inappropriately” after people entered dangerous household items to its new AI meal planning app
A supermarket experimenting with an AI meal planning app has accidentally offered up some dangerous suggestions when customers experimented with non-grocery items.
New Zealand superstore Pak ‘n’ Save rolled out their new Savey Meal-bot to try to streamline the meal preparation process – but it has instead offered customers recipes for chlorine gas, “poison bread sandwiches” and “mosquito-repellent roast potatoes”.
The chlorine recipe was suggested as an “aromatic water mix” and the “perfect non-alcoholic beverage to quench your thirst and refresh your senses”. In its serving recommendation, the app said, “Serve chilled and enjoy the refreshing fragrance,” but failed to mention that the inhalation of deadly chlorine gas can lead to a rapid and devastating destruction of the lungs and respiratory system. Airways of patients who inhale the toxic chemical become constricted and fluid builds up quickly on the lungs, causing the skin to turn blue among other catastrophic symptoms that can ultimately lead to death.
Despite the very serious consequences, the auto-generated recipe was accompanied with a cheery upbeat commentary. Sharing the bizarre find on Twitter, New Zealand political pundit Liam Hehir asked his countrymen to experiment with the app by entering odd bits and pieces found around the home and to share their results on Twitter.