Mushroom ID and AI doesn't sound like a bad idea Given the ease of visually misidentifying toxic species?

I love this website that’s full of ai-generated images and could kill somebody. I am sure that all of the emphasis on safety criticality and accuracy won’t be an issue when somebody dies because the terms of service say you need to verify every single output with a real life mycologist

oof.

Of all the things I wouldn't trust AI to hallucinate facts on, mushrooms would have to be right up near the top of the list

Part of identification is smell and feel.

There have been apps available for years where you upload pictures and get matches. When I find something that I'm not familiar with I use a combination of one of those apps for a quick id, then switch to a field guide that's specific to my region (sunbird app specific to Switzerland). Then in that field guide app I'm able to easily switch between similar mushrooms to try to identify what I've found.

Then once I have some idea I bring it to an expert. Here in Switzerland every municipality has a pilzkontrolle (mushroom inspector) - a government office where an expert will throw out what you can't eat and explain to you what you've found. I'm in Zurich and on the weekend the line can be out the door and down the street of people with baskets of mushrooms and as much as three inspectors working.

I would never trust just an app.

https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/de/gesundheit/gesundheitsschutz...