The 404 Media Podcast Amazon Is Selling AI-Generated Books That Are a Matter of 'Life or Death'
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Sep 6, 2023 The podcast dives into the alarming trend of AI-generated mushroom foraging books on Amazon, emphasizing the dangers of misinformation in a life-or-death hobby. It critiques the reliability of such literature, raising concerns about toxic species. After the break, a fascinating investigation reveals how personal travel data was tracked using a privacy-leaking feature on a New York subway website. The discussion highlights critical issues around privacy, surveillance, and the responsibilities of tech platforms in safeguarding user information.
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AI Books Can Be Life-Threatening
- AI-generated beginner mushroom guides on Amazon often contain shallow, formulaic text that can omit critical safety steps.
- That combination makes them especially dangerous because foraging mistakes can be life-threatening.
Fake Bios Revealed The Scam
- Sam ran author bios and sample pages through AI-detection tools and flagged them as likely AI-generated.
- He also found fake author bios and images that suggested the books were fabricated.
Verify Authors Before Trusting Guides
- Verify authorship and cross-check credentials before trusting practical guides on marketplaces.
- Use skepticism for formulaic writing and run suspicious text or bios through AI-detection tools.