Facebook doesn't know its onions: Seeds ad banned after machine-learning algo found vegetable pic 'overtly sexual'

The Register ^ | Oct 13, 2020 | Katyanna Quach

[dayglored]

Facebook's computer-vision algorithm flagged an innocuous advert for onions posted on its social media platform for being "overtly sexual."

The Seed Company by EW Gaze, a Canadian garden store, wanted to advertise its Walla Walla onion seeds on the social network, but its attempt was shot down after the image used in the advert was deemed too naughty by Facebook's software.

Although most would argue that there's nothing remotely sexy about a close-up shot of onions in a basket, Facebook's automated software clearly disagreed. A screenshot posted by the company said the image was classified as having "overtly sexual positioning".

In experiments, Vinay Prabhu, a researcher at a privacy-focused startup, revealed that the image seems to contain one offending onion in the middle that is often mistaken for porn in object-recognition models. Perhaps it somewhat resembles a breast if you squint really hard. It's possible that's what Facebook's algorithms have zeroed in on too.

[More topics in the article at the link...]

[dayglored]

"Artificial Intelligence" at Facebook.

Although I will admit, those are some mighty fine looking onions there....

[coloradan]

“No, sir. It was just me and some onions. Honest, officer!”

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I have seen actual pornography posted on FB, that somehow got missed.

[Billthedrill]

While I have long assumed that onions and breasts are different things, I must admit that more research is necessary.

[Paladin2]

It’s not like they were pics of melons or some such....

[rlmorel]

I guess cucumbers, melons, and summer sausage are on the hit list next.

[Larry Lucido]

There are more onions there than in a Russ Meyer movie.

[ClearCase_guy]

Nice picture.

"I'll be in my bunk."

[DoodleBob]

I wonder what the AI will say about "Otter's Produce Co."

[dp0622]

I need to be alone with this thread for a while.

[Vigilanteman]

A lot more sensual than, say, the ta-tas of a certain speaker of the house . . .

[Ezekiel]

This will make you cry.

Oh wait... Walla Walla.

Never mind!

[Repeal The 17th]

[FamiliarFace]

If your onions are soft to the touch, you probably should throw them out.

[Fai Mao]

I posted this article to FB. So, funny.

[dayglored]

My ex- and I would go grocery shopping together, and she would spend lots of time in the produce section looking for the “perfect” cucumber or zucchini. I would kid her about whichever one she eventually chose, and then she would fire back, “If you think you’re getting any tonight, fuggetaboutit!”

[rlmorel]

Hahahahaha

[FamiliarFace]

ROTFLMAO. For real.

Thanks for the big belly laugh! :)

[BitWielder1]

It was supposed to make life better but AI is already starting to come up with some seriously stupid stuff.

[Bullish]

I feel sorry for people who feel the need to have facebook in any way involved in their lives, and think they’re doing anything worth while.