Parents in Kentucky are voicing their anger after middle school students were given instructional packets filled with errors generated by artificial intelligence. The materials, distributed on the first day of class at Farnsley Middle School in Louisville, contained significant inaccuracies in geography, science, and astronomy.
According to reports, an AI-generated map of the United States mislabeled several states, including Kentucky as "Venecky" and Louisiana as "Lookoong." Other geographical errors included Arizona being spelled "Arizone," Illinois starting with a "V," Texas as "Taxas," and New Mexico as "New Mizone." Oklahoma was rendered as "Olkchoma." Additionally, the capital of Cuba, Havana, was depicted on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and a fictional territory labeled "Beehie" appeared south of a misspelled Vancouver.
Beyond geography, the packets also included a flawed periodic table of elements and an inaccurate depiction of the solar system. The periodic table listed Magnesium with an atomic mass of -3.08, a scientific impossibility. The solar system information contained incorrect lunar phases and misspelled the planet Mars as "Marc."
Stacey Morris, a parent, shared her concern, noting that the school charges a $10 instructional fee for these packets. She expressed disappointment in paying for materials produced by AI that contain such basic errors. Morris reported emailing the school principal about the inaccuracies but did not receive a response.
A spokesperson for the school district stated that they are aware of the inaccuracies in the agenda and are communicating with parents regarding the issue. Following the discovery of the errors, school administrators reportedly contacted teachers, advising them to discard 17 pages of the AI-generated material before distribution to students.