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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Man poisons himself after receiving advice from AI: 'Will give rise to terrible results'
Man poisons himself after receiving advice from AI: 'Will give rise to terrible results' A man was hospitalized with severe physical and psychiatric symptoms after replacing table salt with sodium bromide in his diet, advice he said he received from ChatGPT, according to a case study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Experts have strongly cautioned against taking medical advice from artificial intelligence-powered chatbots. "These are language prediction tools — they lack common sense and will give rise to terrible results if the human user does not apply their own common sense when deciding what to ask these systems and whether to heed their recommendations," said Dr. Jacob Glanville, according to Fox 32 Chicago. What's happening? A 60-year-old man concerned about the potentially negative health impacts of chloride on his body was looking for ways to completely remove sodium chloride, the chemical name for table salt, from his diet. "Inspired by his history of studying nutrition in college, he decided to conduct a personal experiment to eliminate chloride from his diet," the case study's authors wrote. "For three months, he had replaced sodium chloride with sodium bromide obtained from the internet after consultation with ChatGPT, in which he had read that chloride can be swapped with bromide, though likely for other purposes, such as cleaning." The "personal experiment" landed the man, who had "no past psychiatric or medical history," in the emergency room, saying he believed he was being poisoned by his neighbor. "In the first 24 hours of admission, he expressed increasing paranoia and auditory and visual hallucinations, which, after attempting to escape, resulted in an involuntary psychiatric hold for grave disability," the authors said. With treatment, the man's symptoms gradually improved to the point where he could explain to doctors what had happened. Why does bad medical advice from AI matter? The situation highlighted the high levels of risk involved in obtaining medical advice, or other highly specialized knowledge, from AI chatbots including ChatGPT. As the use of AI-powered tools becomes more popular, incidents such as the one described in the case study are likely to occur more frequently. "Thus, it is important to consider that ChatGPT and other AI systems can generate scientific inaccuracies, lack the ability to critically discuss results, and ultimately fuel the spread of misinformation," the case study's authors warned. Do you worry about companies having too much of your personal data? Absolutely Sometimes Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. They encouraged medical professionals to consider the public's increasingly widespread reliance on AI tools "when screening for where their patients are consuming health information." What's being done about AI misinformation? Unless and until governments enact regulatory guardrails constraining what kinds of advice and information AI can and cannot dole out to people, individuals will be left to rely on their own common sense, as Glanville recommended. However, when it comes to complex, scientifically dense information that requires specialized knowledge and training to properly understand, it is questionable how far "common sense" can go. The subject of the case study had received some level of specialized academic training with regards to nutrition. Apparently, this was not enough for him to recognize that sodium bromide was not a suitable alternative for table salt in his diet. Consequently, the best way to protect oneself and one's family from the harmful effects of AI misinformation is to limit reliance on AI to specific, limited instances and to approach any AI-provided advice or data with a high level of skepticism. To take things a step further, you can use your voice and reach out to your elected representatives to tell them that you are in favor of regulations to rein in AI-generated misinformation. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
What is corn sweat? Heat wave in Midwest to feel worse this week, here's why
The hot and humid weather in parts of the central US seems to have turned unbearable lately, while corn is partly to blame for this. The term 'corn sweat,' which refers to water transpiration from corn, has been floating around again as temperatures spike across the Midwest region. The weather phenomenon is tied to how corn plants release moisture. Corn sweat refers to water transpiration from corn(Unsplash) What is corn sweat? 'Corn actually produces humidity, if you will, or moisture that wicks off the plant on average about 4,000 gallons per acre (per day),' farmer Mark Baker told AccuWeather. The moisture adds to the already high humidity, pushing temperatures well over 100 degree Fahrenheit in parts of the Corn Belt like Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana. The effect isn't subtle. 'On a normal day, I mean, the humidity in the cornfield is substantially worse. You step out of the corn and you go, 'Wow, that's a breath of fresh air,' Baker added. Also Read: Midwest and Central US face scorching heat wave: How to stay safe as temperatures rise over 100 degrees Does it have any effect on heat? As per Accuweather, the whole thing boils down to plant biology - specifically, transpiration. Like all plants, corn pulls water up through its roots to grow. But the extra water does not stick around. Instead, the plant releases it through tiny pores in its leaves, sending vapor into the air. A tree might do this too, but the numbers do not even come close. A big oak tree releases about 100 gallons of water a day. On the other hand, a single acre of corn releases up to 4,000 gallons. Multiply that by the roughly 11.1 million acres of corn in Illinois alone, and we are talking about billions of gallons of water vapor pumped into the air - every day - during peak summer season. 'Most plants do not transpire a significant amount of water. Corn plants are really, really effective at transpiration,' Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford told Fox 32 Chicago. Humid summers ahead Chicago and much of the Midwest are now stuck in a steamy squeeze as they get caught between moisture-heavy Gulf air to the south and nonstop corn sweat rising from the ground. The result? Conditions feel way hotter than the thermometer suggests. The upside? All that moisture means the corn is doing well, and farmers can expect a solid harvest come fall. So yeah, the sweat's real - but at least someone's thriving. FAQs: 1. What is corn sweat? Corn sweat refers to the moisture released by corn plants through a process called transpiration. 2. Why does corn increase humidity more than other plants? Corn releases significantly more water vapor, up to 4,000 gallons per acre per day, compared to most plants. 3. Where is corn sweat most noticeable? The effect is strongest in the Corn Belt states, especially Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Missouri. 4. Does corn sweat affect the heat index? Yes, the added moisture raises humidity, which increases how hot it feels outside. 5. Is corn sweat a sign of healthy crops? Yes, more transpiration generally means the corn is growing well and thriving.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Inside the most scrutinized closet in City Hall: Chicago mayor's office makes it public
The Brief The Chicago Mayor's office will soon allow public access to the controversial gift closet in City Hall. The closet came under scrutiny after an Inspector General report revealed violations of city ethics codes regarding gift reporting. A new policy will let people schedule appointments to view the items, with plans to donate many of them. CHICAGO - The most scrutinized closet in Chicago's City Hall will soon be open to the public. The Mayor's office granted Fox 32 Chicago a rare inside look at the closet, located on the third floor of City Hall, which became the focus of controversy after a report by Chicago's Inspector General. The backstory The report found that the Mayor had violated the city's ethics code concerning the accessibility and reporting of gifts received by the city. The report, released by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg, revealed that investigators were repeatedly denied access to the closet. After several attempts, they received a list of about 300 items, but the majority lacked detailed information, such as the names of the individuals or organizations who had given the gifts. The report made headlines when it highlighted some extravagant gifts, including Gucci and Kate Spade bags, Hugo Boss cufflinks, and expensive bottles of liquor. However, the majority of the gifts were far more modest, including t-shirts, hats, sports memorabilia, and other items received at parades or public events. Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure and Services Lori Ann Lypson addressed the concerns, stating that many of the gifts were difficult to track because they were given at large city events where the gift-givers were often not identified. She explained that the items are logged on a public website, allowing the public to access the records. Dig deeper To further address the controversy, the Mayor's office is introducing a new policy that will allow the public to schedule 15-minute appointments to view the gift closet in person. Lypson noted that many of the items would eventually be donated to charity. "We'll be giving t-shirts to a homeless shelter for domestic violence, some of the artwork we'll donate to the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events or the library," said Lypson. The gift closet issue was also raised during Mayor Brandon Johnson's testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Sanctuary Cities last week, with Texas Republican Congressman Brandon Gill criticizing the ethical concerns raised by the closet's contents and reporting. What's next The public will soon be able to schedule time to view the closet, and the items will continue to be logged and donated as part of the Mayor's new policy.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois Republican: Congress will vote on DOGE cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Peoria Republican Congressman Darrin LaHood, a staunch Trump supporter, is signaling a break with Elon Musk and 'DOGE.' What they're saying LaHood told Fox 32 Chicago that he doesn't necessarily agree with the slash-and-burn approach the Elon Musk-led committee has taken. "I think taking a scalpel approach and not a sledgehammer approach is the way to do it," LaHood said in an interview from the Capitol, hours before President Trump's address before a joint session of Congress. RELATED: How to watch Trump's speech to Congress LaHood says many of the stated DOGE cuts might not happen after all, if Congress has its say. "All of those changes need to go through Congress. They can't be changed, they can be recommended," LaHood said. Democrats have sounded the alarm over potential cuts to Medicaid – the government-run healthcare for low-income residents. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has warned that cuts could mean one million Illinoisans using healthcare. LaHood said the federal government should take a cautious approach. "Again, I say you take a scalpel approach and not a sledgehammer approach," LaHood said. But he says that the federal government should look at moving beneficiaries off of Medicaid by improving their job prospects. "Able-bodied working Americans, if theres a way to get them off Medicaid and into a good-paying job, we should do that," he said. "I call those revisions and not cuts." The other side On the other end of the political spectrum, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) said she's planning on attending Trump's speech, unlike other Democrats who are boycotting the address. RELATED: Illinois lawmaker to boycott Trump's joint address, calls it 'MAGA love fest' While Trump's allies say he'll try to tout his accomplishments during his first weeks in office, Duckworth said she doesn't think the president can make the case that he's made things better for the American people. "In fact, he's made things worse," she said. "The Dow [Jones] has dropped significantly. The prices of everyday products is much higher, eggs, milk, everything is much higher than it was before he took office. He's not made life better for the American people."
