AI Ruins Groundhog Day

Does AI Have a Shadow?

Hello Friends,

Groundhog Day is my favorite holiday.

It's not a Hallmark holiday.

I don't have to grumble about my company ignoring it on the holiday schedule, because no one gets it off work.

It's not religious, so I'm never controversial (or woke or racists) wishing someone a happy Groundhog Day.

It's a completely low risk, joyous, meaningless day. And, in that way, it even beats out Marshmallow Fluff Day celebrated in Somerville, MA, because it doesn't cause any traffic delays.

Since my birthday is in February, I have felt a strange kinship to Groundhog Day. And, because of that, I happen to know a lot about it.

So, imagine my surprise when I googled it to begin my day of celebration and was met with a WRONG response from Google's Search AI.

At around 5 AM Eastern Time, the Google.com AI Overview reported something like… "if the groundhog sees his shadow, it means winter is right around the corner…" (They have since corrected it.)

But, in my sleepiness, I started questioning myself. I have known the lore of the groundhog my whole life, but this AI technology, with the absolute certainty of a Greek mythological oracle, told me something different.

It's such a simple thing. How could it be wrong?

Well, it was.

Legend has it, if [the groundhog] sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter. But if he doesn't, spring may be sooner than we think.

https://6abc.com/post/live-groundhog-day-2025-will-punxsutawney-phil-see-shadow/15856436/

The primary reason this interpretation of a little rodent's pastime is so ingrained in me is that it actually does seem backwards.

I always thought that in order for the groundhog to see his shadow, it would have to be a bright, sunny day. This would then seem like a perfect time to think Spring had almost sprug. I understand the AI messing it up.

But the fact remains, the AI was wrong. You know it's wrong. But that misalignment has helped me remember the truth of the lore.

My point here is that you can't trust anything these days. (What? That was a leap.)

Actually (and ironically?), before this little holiday incident of misinterpretation, I had planned to write this post about the demise of truth and certitude on the Internet.

This AI screw-up (is it a hallucination?) provided a glaring, yet gentle, example.

WWW.Wha…?

The World Wide Web and the Internet were conceived as a means to share KNOWLEDGE.

Facts.

It was developed by a bunch of smart people who hoped that the distribution of information would make the world a better place.

The founders of the Internet were so convinced that it would always be used for good that they didn't build inherent security into it. Solving for this condition has become a large part of my career for over 30 years.

I bet not one of them imagined immoral asshole criminals would use it to swindle the unsuspecting. Or that politicians would use it to peddle lies.

…[my generation] had a chance to change the world and opted for the Home Shopping Network.

Stephen King, On Writing

Misinformation, deep fakes, and blatant lies permeate our lives.

And, often, it can be dangerous.

For me, it has gotten to where I simply don't believe what we hear, watch, or read without validating it a dozen different ways.

Surfing the web, consuming information, is just not fun anymore.

Don't do it, blindly.

Don't trust what is presented to you. Chances are someone has probably manipulated or fabricated it for their own gain.

And, on top of that, what is even more disheartening is that we have lost our ability to employ common sense. So, not only are we being fed crap, we have forgotten how to taste actual food.

We've become a nation (and a world, really) of inane, unintelligent, and violent sound bites: Prominent figures say garbage, and that sewage is mindlessly mimicked out into the world.

We've abandoned the desire to have discussions, to do research, to listen to each other.

We no longer simply agree to disagree and go have a cup of tea.

Rodent Wisdom

A little furry animal wakes up and steps out of a hole. The sun either shines brightly or is obscured by clouds. He observes the situation and acts.

He innately knows if he's afraid or not, if he wants to go back in the hole or not. It's a simple, unmediated event.

He accepts the truth. He knows what fear feels like, and if he wants to go hide for 6 weeks.

I mean, shadow or no shadow, most days, I just want to go back to bed.

Does it even matter that poor Phil is terrible at predicting the seasons?

Groundhog Day festivities, at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 2, 2025.

But is a dream a lie if it don't come true?

Bruce Sprintsteen, The River

It’s a sad day when our technology ruins something as simple as a meaningless holiday. But, there are a lot more serious things happening all around us. Do we even know? Try to find the truth—it’s out there. Maybe we’ll want to come out of our holes.

Happy reading and happy writing,

David