Good morning, Vancouver. Kenji Nakashima here, still working through the first pour of coffee. The light's hitting the mountains just right this morning, a clear view across the inlet. Makes you think, doesn't it? About what's out there. And what’s... in here.
Speaking of 'in here,' I saw something this morning that made my eyebrows do that slow climb towards my hairline. Apparently, medical chatbots – the ones you might ask about, I don't know, a rash – are confidently recommending things like 'rectal garlic insertion for immune support.' Rectal. Garlic. Insertion. For immune support. The experts are saying these AI models are getting seduced by misinformation wrapped up in medical jargon. It’s the kind of thing that almost sounds plausible if you squint and maybe haven't had enough sleep, like some of the home remedies you hear about on Commercial Drive after a particularly long night. You know, "just put a leek on it," or whatever. But garlic? In that particular way? I mean, we've got some pretty crunchy health trends here in Kitsilano, but even that feels like a bridge too far. Maybe it’s a good thing the Naam on 4th doesn’t offer a drive-thru.
It really makes you wonder, doesn't it? If we can't trust an algorithm with something as fundamental as, well, basic anatomical common sense, what are we really building here? You can almost picture someone in a Vancouver Special, late at night, typing away, convinced they’re on the cusp of something revolutionary. The internet, the echo chambers, and now AI that just amplifies the absurd. Beautiful out here. Complicated in here. That's the coast.