{
  "id": 456400,
  "title": "Chinese farmer kills 25 acres of crops after following AI-generated weed and pest control advice — farmer trusted pesticide recipe after months of successful advice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/chinese-farmer-kills-25-acres-of-crops-after-following-ai-generated",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-10T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/chinese-farmer-kills-25-acres-of-crops-after-following-ai-generated-weed-and-pest-control-advice-farmer-trusted-pesticide-recipe-after-months-of-successful-advice"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Chinese farmer in Chuzhou has lost 24.7 acres of sesame seedlings after blindly following AI-generated advice for weed and pest control. The 67-year-old, Wu, had used the AI app for a year before trusting its recommendations. When asked for guidance on managing weeds and pests, the AI suggested using high-efficiency flupyrimethalin, flusulfasulfaether, thiamethoxazine, and methyl salt. Wu disregarded the need to verify the AI's advice and applied the chemicals to his entire field. The next day, both the grass and seedlings perished, prompting Wu to express his shock during a video interview. Agricultural experts noted that flusulfasulfaether is primarily used against broadleaf weeds in soybean fields, and sesame is considered a broadleaf plant, making it highly susceptible to the herbicide. The USDA categorizes sesame similarly, and the AI chat interface even warned users that its responses may be incorrect. The farmer claimed the AI did not warn him about the risks but acknowledged the disclaimer stating \"AI generation may be incorrect, please verify.\" Despite AI's potential, it has a history of providing inaccurate information, as seen in previous incidents such as a developer losing their directory due to a typo and Meta's AI Alignment director having to terminate her AI agent manually to prevent destructive actions. This case marks one of the first instances where an AI mistake has caused tangible harm in the real world, highlighting the importance of users recognizing AI's limitations when relying on its output.",
  "summary": "A farmer in China followed an AI app's advice for his 25-acre farmland, resulting in the death of his entire crop of sesame seedlings. 67-year-old man was initially skeptical of the tool but eventually trusted it after months of using it.",
  "key_points": [
    "67-year-old Chinese farmer, Wu, lost 24.7 acres of sesame seedlings",
    "AI advised using high-efficiency flupyrimethalin and other chemicals",
    "Sesame plants are highly susceptible to flusulfasulfaether herbicide"
  ],
  "editors_take": "This incident highlights the risks of relying on unverified AI advice, particularly in fields like agriculture where incorrect guidance can have immediate and devastating consequences for livelihoods and resources.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}