First things first. And this is important.
Do not trust the responses you get from AI queries.
You cannot rely on the answers provided by the mainstream AI implementations. Specifically, Microsoft Copilot, Meta AI, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT (and others, I suspect) will return responses with important information missing, self-contradictory responses, responses that differ in important ways from each other, and responses that are not consistent with well-known facts.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use those tools, only that you must verify any information you get from them. That means reviewing the references they supply and making up your own mind what the truth is.
In short, AI is a great way to find references, and the summaries the AI responses produce will surface relevant search terms that you can follow up on. But know up front that the summaries will be flawed, and you cannot depend on them to be truthful.
Thinking otherwise can be dangerous. Let me give one example.
I had cause today to look up information about armadillos and leprosy. My go-to for quick information is Wikipedia. The Armadillo article tells me:
Armadillos are often used in the study of leprosy, since they, along with mangabey monkeys, rabbits, and mice (on their footpads), are among the few known species that can contract the disease systemically.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo#Science_and_education
Okay. So that confirms what I thought: armadillos can carry leprosy. I didn’t know about the others, though. So I learned something new. Cool.
And, yes, I’m aware that it’s not a good thing to depend on Wikipedia as my only source of information. I don’t. However, my experience over the last 20 years is that Wikipedia is a very reliable source for factual information. I’ve rarely found a case where a Wikipedia article is flat wrong about something, and even more rarely have I found a Wikipedia article that is self-contradictory. An article might miss some important information or contain an unsupported statement here or there, but for the most part I’ve found articles on Wikipedia to be very high quality. In addition, Wikipedia articles generally supply an exhaustive list of references that I can (and do!) go to if I want to confirm something. In this particular case, I did consult the references for the pertinent facts that I’m presenting here. I’m satisfied that the one sentence I quoted above from the Wikipedia page on armadillos is true, if perhaps incomplete.
Anyway.
I’ve been playing with the AI products from Meta, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. So I thought I’d ask each of them the same question: Can armadillos carry leprosy? The responses I got differed, and in some cases contradicted each other and what I’d learned from the Wikipedia article. So I thought I’d ask a second question: What animals can carry leprosy? The table below gives a brief summary of the answers. Full text of both answers from each of the AIs is at the end of this post.
| Can armadillos carry leprosy? | What animals can carry leprosy? | |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot | Only armadillos can carry leprosy. | Nine-banded armadillos, red squirrels, and chimpanzees can carry leprosy. |
| Meta AI | Armadillos are one of few animals that can carry leprosy. | Only armadillos can carry leprosy. Red squirrels, chimpanzees, and soil amoeba also can carry leprosy. |
| Gemini | Only armadillos can carry leprosy. | Nine-banded armadillos, red squirrels, and chimpanzees can carry leprosy. |
| ChatGPT | Armadillos are one of few known animals that can carry leprosy. | Armadillos, mangabey monkeys, chimpanzees, and nine-banded armadillos can carry leprosy. |
| Wikipedia | Armadillos are one of few known animals that can carry leprosy. | Armadillos, mangabey monkeys, rabbits, and mice can carry leprosy. |
Do you understand now why you can’t rely on any one source? The AIs are great tools for surfacing potentially useful information. But you should be able to see from the table above that not one of them (including the non-AI Wikipedia) provides complete and self-consistent information. And they’re all different in important ways.
Which one do you trust?
None of them. The AIs are very good at surfacing and summarizing information. But the information they surface and the summaries they provide are not completely reliable. They, like Wikipedia, are just the first step in learning about something new. You have to follow up and verify every assertion made. You have to identify the conflicting assertions and resolve them. That means reading and evaluating the references that the AIs (and the Wikipedia article) provide.
The primary difference between a Wikipedia article and the AI responses is that last step: human intervention. The Wikipedia article is created by people who actually know what they’re writing about. They found the sources (sometimes authored one or more of the references), read and evaluated them, determined through various means which sources were reliable, and put all the information together into a meaningful article that somebody less knowledgeable than the author (or authors–often many different people contribute to a single Wikipedia article) can glean useful information from.
The AI responses, on the other hand, are 100% computer generated. These AIs have at their disposal what is essentially the sum total of all published human knowledge, including verifiable fact, speculation, fiction, and falsehoods that were intentionally created to deceive. But they have no way to evaluate the veracity of any particular statement. They don’t know fact from fantasy. Can’t separate truth from fiction. All they can do is say, in effect “Lots of people say this, and others say that.” Then they put it all together into something that looks like a detailed answer to your question. Actually, it is an answer to your question: an unreliable answer written by a brilliant idiot.
I’ve come to think of these AIs as consummate bullshit artists. They are adept at seamlessly mixing truth and falsehood together into a (usually) coherent whole that looks fine on the surface but doesn’t bear close scrutiny. It’s up to you to separate the fact from fiction.
Full responses to both of my questions from each of the AIs are provided below.
Question 1: Can armadillos carry leprosy?
Microsoft Copilot
Yes, armadillos can carry leprosy. Specifically, the nine-banded armadillo is known to harbor the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, which causes leprosy. This makes them the only animals besides humans known to carry the disease.
Transmission to humans can occur through direct contact with armadillos or by handling or consuming their meat. However, the risk of contracting leprosy from armadillos is relatively low, and the disease is now highly treatable.
Meta AI
Yes, armadillos are one of the few animals that can carry leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease. They are natural carriers of the bacteria that causes leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae. While the risk is low, humans can contract leprosy from armadillos through contact with their saliva, urine, or other bodily fluids. It’s important to exercise caution and avoid direct contact with armadillos, especially if you live in areas where leprosy is common.
Here are some facts about leprosy and armadillos:
- Leprosy is rare: Leprosy is a relatively rare disease in the United States, with only a few cases reported each year.
- Armadillos are common carriers: Armadillos are one of the primary animal carriers of leprosy in the southern United States.
- Contact with armadillos increases risk: People who handle or eat armadillos, or come into contact with their bodily fluids, are at higher risk of contracting leprosy.
- Early treatment is key: Leprosy is treatable with antibiotics, but early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent long-term nerve damage and disability.
Google Gemini
Yes, armadillos can carry leprosy. In fact, they are the only other mammal besides humans that can naturally harbor the bacteria that causes leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae.
Studies have shown that a high percentage of armadillos in the southern United States, particularly nine-banded armadillos, carry the leprosy bacteria. In some areas, estimates are that 15-20% of armadillos are infected. While the exact way leprosy is transmitted from armadillos to humans is not fully understood, it is believed that close contact with armadillos or their environment may be a risk factor.
Here are some ways people might come into contact with the leprosy bacteria from armadillos:
- Direct contact: Skinning or handling an armadillo with bare hands.
- Inhalation: Breathing in dust or dirt contaminated with armadillo droppings.
- Ingestion: Eating undercooked armadillo meat.
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that attacks the skin, nerves, eyes, and mucous membranes. However, it is important to note that most people are not susceptible to leprosy and the risk of transmission from armadillos is considered low.
If you are concerned about leprosy, talk to your doctor. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent permanent nerve damage and disability.
ChatGPT
Yes, armadillos can carry leprosy. In fact, they are one of the few known animal species that can transmit the disease to humans. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. Armadillos can harbor this bacteria, and transmission to humans usually occurs through direct contact with armadillos or their bodily fluids.
In regions where leprosy is endemic and armadillos are present, there have been documented cases of people contracting leprosy from handling or consuming armadillos. Therefore, it is advised to avoid contact with armadillos, especially in areas where leprosy is known to occur, to reduce the risk of transmission.
Question 2: What animals can carry leprosy?
Microsoft Copilot
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, primarily affects humans, but certain animals can also carry the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. Here are some animals known to carry leprosy:
- Nine-banded armadillos: These are the most well-known animal carriers of leprosy, particularly in the southern United States.
- Red squirrels: In the UK, red squirrels have been found to carry strains of leprosy, although there have been no reported cases of transmission to humans.
- Chimpanzees: Some wild chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast have been observed with leprosy.
These animals act as reservoirs for the bacteria, but the risk of transmission to humans is generally low.
Meta AI
The following animals can carry leprosy:
- Armadillos: The only other animals that carry leprosy, besides humans, are armadillos. They are the natural carriers of the bacteria that causes leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae.
- Red squirrels: They are known to develop leprosy in the UK, but there have been no recorded cases of transmission from red squirrels to humans.
- Chimpanzees: There have been recorded cases of leprosy in chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast. However, more research is needed to determine if humans can contract leprosy from chimps.
- Soil amoeba: Research by The Leprosy Mission in India demonstrated that soil amoeba can also be a reservoir for leprosy bacteria.
Google Gemini
There are only a few known animal species that can carry leprosy, and among them, the nine-banded armadillo is the most well-documented case.
- Nine-banded armadillo: This armadillo species, found in the southern United States and parts of South America, is the only mammal besides humans known to naturally harbor the bacteria that causes leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae. In fact, some armadillo populations can have infection rates as high as 20%. While the armadillos themselves rarely show symptoms from the infection, they can transmit it to humans through close contact or consumption of armadillo meat.
- Red Squirrels: There have been some isolated cases of leprosy identified in red squirrel populations in the United Kingdom. However, there is no evidence that squirrels can transmit the disease to humans.
- Chimpanzees: A recent study (late 2021) identified leprosy in wild chimpanzees in West Africa. More research is needed to determine if chimpanzees can transmit the disease to humans.
ChatGPT
Several animals have been identified as potential carriers of leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae), including:
- Armadillos: Armadillos are well-documented carriers of leprosy and have been implicated in transmitting the disease to humans in some regions, particularly in the southern United States.
- Non-human Primates: Certain species of non-human primates, such as chimpanzees and mangabey monkeys, have been found to carry Mycobacterium leprae. They can potentially transmit the disease to humans through close contact.
- Nine-banded Armadillos: This specific species of armadillo, found primarily in the Americas, is particularly known for its association with leprosy.
While these animals can carry Mycobacterium leprae, it’s important to note that human-to-human transmission is the primary route of leprosy infection worldwide. In regions where leprosy is endemic and where these animals are present, there may be a risk of zoonotic transmission (animal to human), especially through direct contact or consumption of infected animal tissues.