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

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 …

[chivo243]

Please o' Please!

When linking to Farcebook, please let us know it's a Fecesbook link, how rude!

[DJV]

Re: Please o' Please!

The text reads "...Facebook's automated software clearly disagreed. A screenshot posted by the company..." - what made you think it might not have been a link to Fartbook?

[Jason Bloomberg]

Should have gone to SpecSavers

I'd nearly finished knocking one out before I realised it was a picture of onions.

[MiguelC]

Re: Should have gone to SpecSavers

Watch out when you go, though, you might bump into Dominic there..

[DJV]

Re: Should have gone to SpecSavers

So that's why your eyes were watering so much...

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: Should have gone to SpecSavers

You're going blind already?

[Schultz]

Sexually offensive...

lies in the eye of the beholder. So we shouldn't second-guess the AI if it feels offended. Accept that those onions are offensive to some 'intelligent' beings and avoid overt depictions of bulbous indecencies in the future!

[Chris G]

Re: Sexually offensive...

'Allo darlin' would you like to see my alliums?

[a pressbutton]

Re: Sexually offensive...

No

But

Would be interested in a video of your etchings.

[Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse]

Re: Sexually offensive...

I think that is just about shallot for onion jokes today thankyou very much.

[David 132]

Re: Sexually offensive...

Honestly, I'm just disappointed that no-one has come up with the obvious "yes onions can be erotic, has no-one heard of the Lady of Shallot?" joke yet. Poor show, El Reg. Commentards, you have let me down.

[Sanguma]

Re: Sexually offensive...

Not to wish to offend, but aren't you forgetting the Lady of Shallittles?

[Shadow Systems]

Re: Sexually offensive...

I object to sex on the telly!

...

I keep fallin' off.

=-D

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Sexually offensive...

It's those new-fangled flat screens.

[jake]

Re: Sexually offensive...

"lies in the eye of the beholder"

Must be human nature. As they say "love is blind".

[Steve Davies 3]

PuritanBook has lost the Plot!

big time.

It is well past its close down by date and should be shut down ASAP.

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: PuritanBook has lost the Plot!

Couldn't agree more, though crappy AI-based detection of boobies is purely incidental.

[wurdsmiff]

Could it be

Eccentrica Gallumbits, the triple-breasted whore of Eroticon Six? No, just some onions. I'll get me towel.

[Anonymous Coward]

Phwoar

Those are some nice bulbs

[Wyrdness]

I'm enjoying the ML Resume generator:

"Bug fixes and maintenance of mainframe based Cobol" at Gitlab. That certainly explains a lot.

[jake]

"Bug fixes and maintenance of mainframe based Cobol"

There is actually seriously good money in that. I just placed a kid (under 25yo) in such a position. He's making $95K/year to start. Granted, he's been playing with COBOL since he was pre-teen ...

"at Gitlab"

Maybe not so much ...

[David in NL Canada]

Support the Business!

Hey... if you like the story about the onions, maybe by some seeds from them... they are a small company in my home town and could use the COVID business! :) And, hey, who DOESN'T want to grow sexy onions!!!

https://theseedcompany.ca/products/onion-walla-walla-sweet

I am NOT affiliated in any way and will not profit if you purchase... but these stories do have real people behind them! :)

[Filippo]

Re: Support the Business!

They should run with this, and make a marketing campaign out of their sexy, sexy onions. I bet they'd enjoy a brief but significant sales boost.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Support the Business!

Maybe they could get a spot on That's Life!

Wait...what's that you say?

Git of ma' lawn...<snore>

[David 132]

Re: Support the Business!

I do my bit for the Walla Walla onion industry every year by getting Burgerville's seasonal WW onion rings and burgers... what more could I reasonably do :)

[jake]

Re: Support the Business!

They should re-name 'em the Hubba Hubba.

Good onions to grow, BTW. Recommended.

Note: Your soil type will affect the taste of the onion ... they might not be as sweet as the ones grown in Washington State's Walla Walla Valley, even though you are planting the same seed. In the wine business we often talk about "terroir". What most people don't realize is that it applies to virtually every other crop grown for food, not just grapes.

[Teiwaz]

onions are too sex?

Has anyone tried an ad for melons, plums, banana or pomegranate.

...certain mushrooms, or oddly shaped turnips?

I like a nice stir fry you can giggle along to.

[Macs1000]

Re: onions are too sex?

I'm a peach man, myself!

[Sgt_Oddball]

Re: onions are too sex?

With fuzz or without?

[Claverhouse]

Perhaps it somewhat resembles a breast if you squint really hard

Obviously the only rational thing to do is to form a Committee to remove every picture of breasts on the Internet.

[The commentard formerly known as Mister_C]

Proof positive (if it were required)

AI just doesn't know its onions.

[Maelstorm]

Brings new meaning to "Got'em in the onions."

[Howard Sway]

AI taxi driver

The driverless cabs need a virtual driver application, which can scape the most reactionary comments from the Mail Online website and relay them to the user using speech synthesis and a speaker during the journey. This program would count as True AI, as it would easily pass the Turing test (i.e. it would be a completely autonomous pogram whose output is indistinguishable from a real cab driver)

[jake]

On the bright side ...

... AI will never be allowed to do anything dangerous, like drive cars.

[Sgt_Oddball]

Does this mean...

We've officially reached peak rule 34 of the internet? Or just thst we've finally built machines to truly ensure that there's no exceptions?

Either way brings a tear to my eye...

[Anonymous Coward]

Onion Farming

There’s a farmer near us, grows onions, field after field of them. Presumably a photo of one of those would be counted as some sort of onion orgy by Farcebook?

[J.G.Harston]

Trained off? Shirley they mean trained on. What is it about Sceptics and their inability to get directionality adjectives the right way around? Though this is a new one.

[eraiser]

At least it wasn't trained 'off of'...

[Michael Wojcik]

Another layer of indirection

I looked at the fake-resumé site, and the one it showed me had a reference from "Juan Carlos Carlos Carlos Martins De De De De De De Oliveira". I can't use that. That name needs to be dereferenced five more times.

[LeahroyNake]

How do you like those apples !

Sorry onions...