Should you take advice from AI on how to forage for mushrooms?

If you’re new to the world of mushroom foraging, you should probably double check the credibility of your sources before you head out into the wild. A number of books on foraging that are for sale through Amazon have been found to be works of artificial intelligence, and in some cases they aren’t safe to follow.

For example, a number of samples from these books mention “smell and taste” as one way to identify a mushroom. But if the mushroom is poisonous, using these methods could be dangerous, even lethal. “Some of the differences between edibles and nonedibles are very subtle and it really takes an experienced eye and knowledge to discriminate between them,” said professor Myron Smith, a fungi specialist at Carleton University in Canada.

Amazon has been made aware of the issue and is reportedly working on it. A spokesperson for the platform told The Guardian, “We take matters like this seriously and are committed to providing a safe shopping and reading experience. We’re looking into this.”