Algorithms · February 2026Gaffe level: Feral
Amazon's AI Routing Drove a Van Onto a Deadly 600-Year-Old Tidal Path
Amazon's AI-powered navigation routed a Flex driver onto the Broomway, an ancient tidal track across the Thames Estuary. The van bogged down in mud and rising water and had to be rescued by a local farmer. Her supervisor told her to proceed because the satnav said so.
Source: The Guardian
An AI-Designed Bird Flu Vaccine Gave Complete Protection in Animals
Cambridge researchers and spinout DIOSynVax used AI to design a broad-spectrum bird flu vaccine from global virus genome data. In animal trials it fully protected mice and ferrets against diverse variants that have caused human infections, while the stockpiled WHO vaccine protected only about half. Human trials are the next step.
Source: Medical Xpress