Out of the various ways mushrooms can be classified, differentiating the toxic from the edible is perhaps the most crucial. With the use of artificial intelligence more common than ever, foragers, especially beginners, have taken to AI tools to identify wild mushrooms accurately.Despite their growing popularity, AI systems cannot reliably distinguish between edible and toxic mushrooms. This might be severe for people who rely solely on these tools.
But this does not deter foragers. From guides to online communities, many sources seek to guide beginners. However, bringing AI into the mix has introduced a new level of risk. These automated suggestions are not based on previous experience anymore bringing uncertainty into the mix. In 2023, an incident involving Amazon’s online marketplace highlighted the dangers of AI-generated misinformation. An influx of reportedly AI-generated books prompted concerns about the spread of unreliable information. Subsequently, the company placed restrictions on self-publishing. One citizen complained about certain honey mushrooms that they identified with some confidence thanks to a combination of books, online resources, and iNaturalist’s Seek application.
“I filled my basket with the mushrooms, took them home, and put them in the refrigerator. A day or two later, I fried some up in oil and tossed them into a bowl of spicy ramen, using them the same way I would use store-bought shiitakes.” “Exactly what happened next is difficult to describe. Not long after I ate the mushroom ramen, my stomach felt off – and I started doubting if I had correctly identified the honey mushrooms after all. This led me to research honey mushroom lookalikes – and to start reading more than I have ever read before about a little brown mushroom that can fruit at the same time and place as honey mushrooms, Galerina marginata, also known as the “deadly galerina” or “funeral bell” mushroom.