^{This reminds me of circuits and neurons for some reason. In reality, this is some kids performing as fireflies.}

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Today, I came across an interesting term — AI hallucinations. It's weird to even think about it but the term is pretty much self-explanatory. When incorrect, flawed or biased data is fed to the AI training models, the engine perceives things that are actually not true or don't exist. I instantly had a flashback of all my ChatGPT queries since its inception; it's safe to say that it hallucinates — a lot. I'm sure, you all agree. I don't believe this technology can ever overcome this flaw just like there's no transformative treatment for this neurological disorder when it comes to humans.

This term did stop me in my tracks, but it was the word 'hallucinations' that caught my attention at first because I deal with this formidable disorder every day — a family member is a victim.

^{Sometimes, they can't even tell it's a tomato}

The affected person can suddenly point at an elephant outside the window; you would consider checking it out for a moment, even knowing that there are no elephants anywhere near the house, not even hundreds of kilometres away. At another moment, they see big monkeys with elephants and ants on the sheets. A baby in the form of a cushion. These are only some examples from a few minutes of their daily lives.

After reading about AI hallucinations, my next search was, how do hallucinations work (in humans)? Wrong signals going to the neural circuit, that much I know. But then I read something about an altered imagery — nobody knows how it forms. For now, scientists and doctors believe it's a complex brain activity which is caused by internal and external experiences leading to flawed sensory information or signals within the brain.

In the last few months, I learned that hallucinations are different from illusions and delusional perceptions — these are distinct sensations, almost like reality. Moreover, hallucinations are not limited to sight but also affect the auditory, touching and smelling senses. The eyes of the affected person look dilated too.

It's strange how this flaw or disorder connects the digital realm and the real world. Or it's just me who fabricated this new bridge because of my own experiences. But there's no denying of one huge difference: when a machine hallucinates, it's only a flawed output, but when a person hallucinates, their whole life turns upside down; they feel isolated, alone, and can't differentiate between reality and imagination. They are emotionally vulnerable, and this takes a toll on their loved ones too.

^{Although it looks mesmerizing but this much darkness for longer time becomes depressing}

In the back of my mind, it was this eerie similarity between AI hallucinations and my personal experiences that made me pause, read, reflect and write about it. Apologies, if it went above your head or this piece doesn't speak to you. I write for myself.