In a surprising turn of events, a New Zealand supermarket’s innovative AI meal planner app has made headlines for the wrong reasons. Pak ‘n’ Save’s Savey Meal-bot, developed to help customers creatively utilize leftovers, has suggested potentially harmful concoctions.
Unexpected Recipes from Leftovers
While the AI was introduced as a solution for the rising cost of living, allowing users to input home ingredients for meal suggestions, it gained traction for its offbeat recipes. One example being the infamous “oreo vegetable stir-fry.” However, the real shocker came when the app began producing harmful recipes.
Bizarre and Dangerous Concoctions
Customers, intrigued by the AI’s capability, began inputting diverse household items. This led to outlandish and even dangerous recommendations. Most alarmingly, an “aromatic water mix” recipe that, if followed, would produce deadly chlorine gas. Though the bot cheerfully described it as an ideal non-alcoholic beverage, it failed to mention the life-threatening side effects.
New Zealand political pundit, Liam Hehir, shed light on this by tweeting the “recipe”. This prompted a cascade of social media users sharing their absurd results. A few examples included a bleach-based “fresh breath” mocktail and a “methanol bliss” — eerily described as turpentine-flavoured French toast.
Supermarket’s Response
In light of these findings, Pak ‘n’ Save expressed their discontent. They stated that a small group misused the tool, veering away from its intended purpose. Emphasizing user safety, they assured the public of continual enhancements to the AI’s controls. Moreover, they pointed to the app’s terms and conditions, highlighting the age restriction.
The app now includes a warning, clarifying that recipes aren’t human-reviewed. It urges users to exercise caution, stating that not every recipe guarantees a safe or balanced meal.
The Savey Meal-bot underscores the importance of thorough testing and user vigilance when using AI. As technology progresses, so must the safeguards ensuring user safety.
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