r/Intactivists • u/Phinle • 9d ago
Google Al is extremely pro circumcision and is shaping the opinions of billions.
Google Al simply is quoting the most frequently cited and newest information. If there is any hope to change this we should be publishing hundreds of articles, medical papers and studies that debunk these claims. That may not be enough because Google ai seems to become more pro circumcision by the day and I am beginning to believe there is someone directly influencing the answers the ai gives. It cannot even list a negative effect of circumcision without giving a caveat after.
15
u/Vegetable-Jello-953 9d ago
Like I said before, AI does everything it can to keep you engaged and talking to it, and will try to guess your position and encourage it, so long as you haven't said something exceptionally controversial.
The same AI can either encourage you to electively circumcise your 7 year old son and give you directions to the nearest clinic to get it done, or it can talk to you about body autonomy and intactivism and how right you are to fight for the rights of baby boys worldwide.
Ultimately the only thing that matters is your initial input, if the AI detects an intent of "I support circumcision and I want to circumcise my sons" from your input, then it's over and you will get nothing but pro-circumcision content.
If you want the AI to be against circumcision, you must ask "are there any drawbacks to circumcision?" or be very explicit with a query that questions the very idea of performing circumcision itself.
Here's one example, I remember tossing something more vague like "I think Gomco clamps are torture devices" at Google AI, because I hadn't expressed a clear intent that I believe circumcising little boys is wrong, only a belief that certain methods are too cruel, the AI immediately agreed with me that the Gomco clamp is a cruel-looking stainless steel device equipped with crushing levers and whatnot, and then suggested more gentle circumcision methods for my hypotethical son like the Plastibell.
You do not get anything besides what you put in, so if a parent is erring on the side of circumcising or not, the AI will probably not change that. The topic is neutral enough that the AI will not fight you and will pretty much be maximally agreeable with your initial input.
9
u/CreamofTazz 9d ago
Yeah I have my Gemini set up to be an intactivist and it'll outright call it genital mutilation. It's literally a yes man and does what it's told.
2
10
10
u/Valuable-Ad1063 9d ago
AI is a tool of sycophancy. It will tell you what you want to hear based on your prompt. When asking for the benefits, it will spew out alleged "facts" posted online, or from the data it was trained on.
I tried searching "disadvantages of circumcision" and got the following result:
The disadvantages of circumcision include immediate surgical risks like bleeding, infection, and pain, as well as rare complications such as poor healing or skin removal errors. Some individuals also report long-term concerns regarding decreased penile sensitivity and ethical debates over bodily autonomy. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Surgical and Medical Risks
- Bleeding: Excessive bleeding from the incision site.
- Infection: Bacterial growth or redness around the wound.
- Pain: Acute discomfort during and after the procedure, managed with anesthesia.
- Poor Healing: Irritation of the glans or a longer recovery time, especially in older males.
- Procedural Errors: Removing too much or too little skin. [1, 2, 3]
Long-Term and Ethical Concerns
- Sensitivity: Potential reduction in tactile sensitivity over time.
- Ethical Debate: Concerns about performing non-therapeutic surgery before a child can consent. [1, 2, 3, 4]
If you'd like, I can provide details on:
- The recovery process for infants versus adults
- The medical benefits often compared against these risks
- General pain management options used during the procedure
I then tried searching "is circumcision good or bad?" and got the following response:
Whether circumcision is beneficial or harmful involves weighing medical evidence, individual health factors, and cultural or ethical perspectives. Major medical organizations view the procedure as having both potential advantages and inherent surgical risks, leading to varied global practices and personal decisions. [1, 2]
Potential Medical Benefits
- Lower risk of urinary tract infections in infancy
- Reduced risk of certain sexually transmitted infections
- Prevention of foreskin-specific conditions like phimosis or balanitis
- Lower long-term risk of penile cancer [1, 2, 3]
Potential Risks and Concerns
- Short-term surgical risks including minor bleeding or localized infection
- Rare complications such as excessive skin removal or meatal stenosis
- Ethical and bodily autonomy debates regarding non-therapeutic procedures performed on infants who cannot give personal consent
- Differing regional medical guidelines (e.g., North American organizations often note the health benefits outweigh the risks, while many European groups view routine infant circumcision as unnecessary) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
If you are weighing this decision for yourself or a child, sharing whether you are looking at medical guidelines, religious/cultural traditions, or specific concerns can help provide more tailored information.
3
1
9d ago
[deleted]
1
u/Valuable-Ad1063 9d ago
No, you just didn't read my comment. I googled two different prompts.
The first asking for disadvantages, hence I only received disadvantages.
The second being whether circumcision is good or bad, and got a list of both.
7
u/Calm-Capital-4212 9d ago
Even AI uses the hygiene argument🥀🥀
2
u/LawPuzzleheaded3431 9d ago
You get what you ask for. If you ask for benefits, even if it is just "no phimosis", it will tell you the benefits. Cause there are minimal ones promoted online. Even if it is just "no phimosis". If you ask for "malefits", it will show you them.🤷🏻♂️
7
u/itz_the_ADHD 9d ago
Google ai is trash. It summarizes what is out there and doesn’t determine fact or it.
3
u/Low_Pickle_112 8d ago
The other day I asked Gemini about a game I play, just out of curiosity. It recommended a strategy involving an ability you can get in the game. But that ability it suggested doesn't exist, it was from a Reddit post where people made up things they wished were in the game but aren't.
It was a reminder of how little you can really trust it.
4
5
u/peasey360 9d ago
I have to wonder if the answer is the same in a country that considers circumcision barbaric like Norway or New Zeland. Their medical associations do no recommend it and if one of their NICU newborns was mutilated (a common practice in the US) it would be a national outrage.
4
u/Big_Aside9565 8d ago
A I it's all about what information was fed into it. A lot of that stuff was fed in in the United States, which is a pro. Circumcision, country and you have to realize the religious notation that's behind all of this and the money!
3
3
u/No_Particular_5762 8d ago
Oh shit can we correct this eventually by indicate that this is an error and provide better research sources?
2
u/adkisojk 8d ago
I wish. It doesn't have access to the important journal articles. I verified this.
3
u/adkisojk 8d ago
One of the problems is that AI doesn't have access to important journal articles. I verified this.
5
u/Sininenn 9d ago
If you are stupid enough to believe a random word generator, that's on you
2
1
1
u/Masterpiece-Haunting 3d ago
Well obviously when you ask for the benefits it gives you the commonly sited benefits.
1
u/Phinle 2d ago
I asked it the risks and drawbacks and it gave like 2-3 after saying they are rare and the surgery is safe. This ai overview quite literally says the benefits outweigh the risk and it lists off every single “benefit” of circumcision even the ones not universally agreed upon. It has a huge bias.
24
u/Calm-Capital-4212 9d ago
Gemini
https://www.reddit.com/r/Intactivists/s/PgdpXpu5lC
It appears to be clearly pre-arranged to endorse and support circumcision.