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Death by AI

(davebarry.substack.com)
583 points ano-ther | 9 comments | 19 Jul 25 14:35 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
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jwr ◴[19 Jul 25 21:33 UTC] No.44619638[source]▶
I'd say this isn't just an AI overview thing. It's a Google thing. Google will sometimes show inaccurate information and there is usually no way to correct it. Various "feedback" forms are mostly ignored.

I had to fight a similar battle with Google Maps, which most people believe to be a source of truth, and it took years until incorrect information was changed. I'm not even sure if it was because of all the feedback I provided.

I see Google as a firehose of information that they spit at me ("feed"), they are too big to be concerned about any inconsistencies, as these don't hurt their business model.

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1. kjkjadksj ◴[20 Jul 25 01:10 UTC] No.44620991[source]▶
Google maps is so bad with its auto content. Ultra private country club? Lets mark the cartpaths as full bike paths. Cemetery? Also bike paths. Random spit of sidewalk and grass between an office building and its parking lot? Believe it or not also bike paths.
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2. sethherr ◴[20 Jul 25 02:07 UTC] No.44621298[source]▶
Biking is great tho
3. xp84 ◴[20 Jul 25 02:43 UTC] No.44621522[source]▶
I mean, that last one sounds functionally useful, since it would indeed be better to take the random concrete paths inside an office property (that wasn’t a closed campus) than to ride on the expressway that fronts it, if the “paths” are going where you’re going.
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4. aimor ◴[20 Jul 25 04:34 UTC] No.44622006[source]▶
I went to a party today at a park. Google maps wanted me to drive my car on the walking path to the picnic pavilion. Here, you can get the same directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.8615917,-77.1034763/Alcov...
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5. M4v3R ◴[20 Jul 25 10:49 UTC] No.44623849[source]▶
For up to date bike paths, at least where I live I hear very good things about maps.me (based on OSM data).
6. throwaway2037 ◴[20 Jul 25 12:35 UTC] No.44624594[source]▶
This really made me laugh. Has Will Ferrell already made a skit for Funny or Die where he precisely follows Google Maps driving instructions and runs over a bunch of old people and children? It could be very funny.
7. michaelcampbell ◴[20 Jul 25 13:14 UTC] No.44624926[source]▶
Waze (also owned by Google) seems to get it close(r), but it should be noted that actually driving to/from those addresses can't really be done. You can drive to where you might be able to SEE the destination, but not really get there.

https://www.waze.com/live-map/directions/us/va/arlington/alc...

8. kjkjadksj ◴[22 Jul 25 17:44 UTC] No.44650619[source]▶
Yeah it doesn’t really play out like that. Just saw another example today of this gated condo complex where half the sidewalks are arbitrarily full blown bike trails. Clearly they are just trying to automagically get the trails from imagery of putative paths instead of, you know, pulling directly from the municipal bike path network maps. I guess scaling something more like that out was too hard for multibillion dollar google.

I have tried reporting these fake paths in the past but it didn’t get them removed.

9. yencabulator ◴[23 Jul 25 21:57 UTC] No.44664464[source]▶
In its defense, it has improved greatly. Back in the day, Google Maps told me to switch ferries in the middle of the sea. The car loading ramp was at an angle, so if I could just build up enough speed...