Canon, Cannons, and AI

I am fascinated by museums. Whenever I visit a new place, I make it a point to find out if there are any museums and try to visit them. 

Museums teach me so much — whether it’s about culture, history, or any other subject, there’s always a wealth of knowledge to gain from them.

I’m planning a trip to Thane, a city in the Navi Mumbai region. So I looked into whether there are museums there. 

I consulted a few AI platforms. There are so many now: Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, and Meta AI, to name just a few.

No doubt, they are incredibly helpful, but unfortunately, they aren’t 100% reliable.

GEMINI

To start with, I asked Gemini, "Any museums in Thane in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra?"

It listed three, one of them was "Canon Museum". The other two didn't even sound like museums.

It asked me if I wanted to know more about any of them. 

I said yes. 

It gave me brief write-ups for each of them.

Image source: Canon India

About the Canon Museum, it gave me the following information:

Canon Museum:

This museum is interesting if you have an interest in photography and the history of Canon products.

It showcases the evolution of Canon cameras and related technology.

It is a more specialized museum.

CHATGPT 

I asked ChatGPT the same question. It gave me this reply:

The Canon Museum, located in Thane East, Maharashtra, is a notable attraction for photography enthusiasts and those interested in Canon's history. Situated at 5XJM+R2R, Veer Savarkar Nagar, Thane East, Thane, Maharashtra 400603, it is approximately 1.42 kilometers from the Kalva railway station.

Visitors have rated the museum highly, with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 23 reviews.

Please note that detailed information about the museum's exhibits, operating hours, and contact details is limited online. It is advisable to check the latest updates or contact local sources before planning your visit.

Unlike Gemini, ChatGPT gave me links from where it sourced information.

One was Google Maps, and the other was Yappe, a local business directory.

Image source: Google Maps

Interestingly, the description in Google Maps as well as Yappe says that the museum is about cannons -- the large, heavy pieces of artillery, typically mounted on wheels. 

Both sites have photos of different types of cannons that are on display in the museum.

The museum is not about cameras!

How AI got misled is obvious -- by the spelling -- Canon. It not only thought the museum was about cameras, it also cooked up information!

BACK TO GEMINI

I replied to Gemini:

Wrong information! Canon Museum is not about Canon cameras! It's about cannons!

Gemini's reply:

You are absolutely correct! I sincerely apologize for the error. The Canon Museum in Thane is indeed about Canon cameras and their history, not cannons. It showcases the evolution of Canon's photography equipment. I am still under development and always learning to improve. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! 

It hadn't understood me at all. I persisted:

You haven't understood me! Canon Museum is not about cameras. It is about cannons, as in artellery!

Gemini was equally persistent:

I understand your insistence, and I apologize for the continued confusion. However, based on my search results, the Canon Museum in Thane is dedicated to the history of Canon cameras and photographic equipment. It showcases the evolution of Canon's imaging technology. It appears there may be a misunderstanding or perhaps another museum focused on cannons. 

This was leading me nowhere! 

GROK

I hopped over to Grok. I have found it more descriptive in its replies.

The reply from Grok gave links to 15 websites, and the reply was long. Here are the relevant portions:

There is no dedicated "Canon Museum" in Thane, India, related to the Canon brand (e.g., Canon Inc., known for cameras and imaging technology).... 

If you meant a museum about cannons (artillery) rather than the Canon brand, Thane doesn’t have a specific cannon museum either. ... 

The city has historical significance, including Thane Fort (also called Ghodbunder Fort), which dates back to Portuguese rule and later British occupation. While the fort might display military artifacts, there’s no indication of a dedicated cannon exhibit or museum there ... 

It looks like it was confused about references to cannons in the Canon Museum!

PERPLEXITY 

Quite intrigued by the way AI works, I shifted to Perplexity. It mentioned an arts museum but did not mention the Canon Museum (like Gemini) and told me there are more options in Mumbai, which is close to Thane. Here are the relevant portions of the answer:

Currently, there are no major museums specifically located within Thane city. However, there are several museums nearby that are worth visiting ... 

For a more comprehensive museum experience, one can visit Mumbai, which is close to both Thane and Navi Mumbai. Notable museums in Mumbai include ...

Very non-committal! 

BACK TO GEMINI AGAIN 

I was most upset with Gemini because its own "family member", Google Maps, had text and photos of artillery. So, I confronted Gemini with the evidence of what Google Maps had.

Finally, Gemini understood. Its reply:

I found a Google Maps entry for "Canon Museum" in Thane. To understand what this place is, I will now get more details about it.

You are absolutely right, and I apologize for my repeated errors. The Canon Museum in Thane, as shown on Google Maps, does indeed feature historical cannons, a children's park, and a Hanuman temple. It's located in Thane East. Thank you for your patience and for correcting me. I am still learning and appreciate your help in making sure the information I provide is accurate.

The source was the reviews in Google Maps.

STRANGE WAYS OF AI

This is not the first time that Gemini hasn't made use of Google's own resources to provide answers. 

Strangely, other generative AI platforms use Google Search results better for answers! 

(I am not a paid subscriber of any of these AI platforms.)

Also, it's puzzling that the algorithm is going merely by the spelling of the name of the museum rather than the text and images of the museum available in the public domain.

Yes, it's all because the museum's name is spelt wrong. 

If I'm ever in Thane, I must visit this place!

A to Z Challenge - Theme Reveal

My engagement with the blogosphere has slowed down significantly due to pressing work and personal commitments. So much so, I thought I will have to give this year's A to Z Challenge next month a miss.

But, fortunately, things are easing up, and I’m confident I can participate again, just as I have for the past seven years.

The challenge involves publishing a post each day of April — except four Sundays — on a word corresponding to each letter of the English alphabet.  So, that is a total of 26 posts for the month.  

Now, it’s time for the "theme reveal", where participants, if they choose to, can share the subject they plan to blog about.

In previous years, I’ve sometimes chosen a specific theme, while at other times, I’ve written about random topics.

I thought this time I would pick one.   

Lately, everyone has been talking about the heat — it already feels like summer. So this year, I’ve decided to focus on ‘environment and ecology.’ That will be my theme.

Now, I just need to come up with 26 related topics. Hopefully, I’ll manage!

White House showdown

Screenshot from the full video of the meeting.
(From FOX5 New York) 

Earlier, I used to post and discuss political issues. I try my best not to do so now.

Sometimes, a political development -- like the exchange of words between Donald Trump, J D Vance and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Saturday -- is too tempting not to.

It's a topic of discussion worldwide, and social media is full of memes and conspiracy theories on why it all ended up the way it did.

I am not surprised at the exchange of words. I am sure such exchanges happen, probably even worse.

What surprised me was that it was done in public, in the full glare of the media.

There is a way issues are resolved. It's always done behind closed doors.

What is in public is only what should be in public.

I don't understand why the accepted norms were derailed. It has never happened before.

WHY ALL THIS WHEN THE DEAL WAS READY?

Also, if a deal was ready to be signed, what was the need to get into political issues, go back to the past and try to justify who was right and who was wrong about the war.

The whole point was about ending the war. The effort should have been to get the deal signed and move forward as quickly as possible -- for the sake of all.

None of the three had the presence of mind or inclination to say: "I think we are going off the rail. We need to cut this here. Let us get on with the deal and move on."

Something that was going on very well was needlessly messed up.

On the whole, I found the whole thing bizarre, and ugly.

Interestingly, towards the end, Trump said:

It's good for the American people to see what is going on. I think it's very important. That's why I kept this going for so long. … This is going to be great television.

Finally, it was just that. Good television.