Not via the usual SF methods of global thermonuclear war or being hunted by robots, but simply via pronouncement, as humor writer Dave Barry discovered the other day when he Googled his own name and was curious about the first of the questions that are frequently asked about him, which is what has happened to him? Dave no longer writes regular columns so it’s a reasonable question.

Unfortunately in this case the answer from Google AI is that he’s dead, from cancer, with the AI including a photo of him plus the correct biographical details. Dave tries to correct the AI:

GOOGLE AI: What can I help with? A brief explanation is all I need.

ME: I‘m Dave Barry. The Google AI Overview for me says that I’m dead, and that when I was alive I was a political activist in Dorchester. Neither of these things is true. I am not dead, and I am not a political activist in Dorchester.

GOOGLE AI: Sorry, I didn’t understand your question. Can you try rephrasing it? Short phrases work best.

ME: I’m Dave Barry. I am alive. Google AI says I am dead. I am not dead. Google AI also says I was a political activist in Dorchester. I was not. I still am not.

This struggle continues for several days and Dave’s keeping an eye on it because the answer shifts over time, giving him the impression that the AI is not entirely convinced that it was wrong:

What can we learn from my experience? We can learn that although Artificial Intelligence is an awesomely powerful tool that according to experts is going to completely transform human existence, it is not very bright. So for now we probably should use it only for tasks where facts are not important, such as writing letters of recommendation and formulating government policy.