“Unveiling the Truth: The Surprising Facts That Could Change Everything You Thought You Knew!”
In our ever-evolving digital world, it’s no surprise that artificial intelligence has entered the fray, taking on the monumental task of fact-checking. But have you ever wondered why our sleek algorithms struggle to pin down the truth? In the intricate dance between human error and technological ambition, the author shares a revealing anecdote that highlights this very conundrum. Through a tale of a seemingly innocuous typo that slipped through the cracks of meticulous editing, we dive deep into the question: Can machines truly grasp the nuances of human knowledge? Join me as we unpack the complexities of fact-checking in the age of AI, exploring both the potential and the pitfalls. You might just find yourself chuckling or even shaking your head at the relatable chaos that lurks beneath our polished narratives. Curious about the insights that await? LEARN MORE.
BETWEEN THE LINES
Why AI Doesn’t Work for Fact Checking
“I found a typo,” the author said in a phone call.
This is not the discussion I want to have with an author.
“Oh, shit,” I replied. I am a nonfiction book editor. Perfection is what I strive for. Errors are not acceptable but are occasionally spotted.
I had edited top-cop Mark Langan’s book Busting Bad Guys. We worked closely to organize the chapters, and I had done major editing passes. This revelation of a wrong fact (a typo) came after he and his wife, Annette, had read and reread the chapters many times.
He told the story about Sister Helen Prejean, the Dead Man Walking nun who doesn’t look at all like Susan Sarandon who played her in the movie. His chapter was about the death penalty. He heard Sister Helen speak at a local event.
Mark, in reviewing his advance paperback copy from Amazon, found an instance of Jean Prejean instead of Helen, and all of us missed the name flub multiple times. Why? Because we’re human. We make mistakes, and then we get too close to the material and our brains fill in what we expect to see.
Happily, Mark somehow saw the mistake. I wanted to throw up. These aren’t mistakes we…
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