In today’s column, I examine whether you should openly trust generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to provide you with reasonable and safe cures for a hangover. This might at an initial glance seem like a lighthearted topic. Movies and TV shows often joke about hangovers and various zany cures or outlandish remedies that people come up with. The thing is that akin to people seeking and getting bad advice from fellow humans, the same can happen via AI.

People might not realize an AI-recommended hangover cure could be unsafe. There is a tendency for people to blankly assume that AI is somehow utterly trustworthy and reliable. Sorry to report that such an assumption is false.

Let’s talk about it.

This analysis of an innovative AI breakthrough is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here).

Hangovers Beget Troubles

I’d bet that you’ve either had a hangover at some point in your life or certainly knew someone who has incurred the wrath of overindulgence in alcohol. Entire blockbuster films recount the ins and outs of over-the-top hangovers. The reality of a hangover is that you typically feel rather rotten all over your body. Your mind is not spared either. Mushiness and fogginess of thought are hallmarks of a hangover.

What kinds of symptoms go with a hangover?

The usual culprits consist of a dry mouth, throbbing headache, aching fatigue, and potentially a bout of nausea. Under the hood, your body is often suffering from dehydration and inflammation. Stomach irritation can be there too. Your sleep is likely disrupted and leads to further aggravation of the symptoms arising from drinking to excess.

People joke about hangovers once they’ve gotten past the painful stages. Sometimes a rough hangover is touted as a badge of honor. The problem is that there can be longer-lasting impacts due to a protracted hangover. Also, while in the stressful midst of a hangover, rarely is it a laughing matter.

The shining star topic about hangovers is how to cure them.

People are often desperate for a cure. They want to get past the hangover as quickly as possible. They want to take something that will speed up the recovery process and lessen the agony during the process. I know it sounds trite, but the usual retort is that you shouldn’t have consumed as much as you did. Prevention is the best cure, as they say.

Anyway, people will be people, and they are undoubtedly going to go all-in on drinking. The concerns about a hangover are left at the door while having a good time. The next day is the reward or punishment for your deeds.

Hangover Cures Aplenty And Dangerous Too

Hangover cures are a dime a dozen.

Friends will tell you that this remedy or that remedy is the best. Strangers will say the same. You can go online and find a veritable treasure trove of hangover cures. I hope that you realize those posted cures are not necessarily safe and sound. People post the darnedest things, including abundantly wrong and unsafe suggestions for dealing with hangovers. Make sure that if you do search online, end up at a reputable website that has suitable credentials of a medical nature.

There is an alternative source to finding and learning about hangover cures.

What’s that source?

Generative AI and large language models come to mind.

Here are five good reasons to consider using AI for coping with your hangover:

• (1) Convenience of using AI: Generative AI is generally accessible anytime and anywhere. There isn’t a need to schedule an appointment or go someplace to use generative AI.
• (2) AI provides a range of suggestions: Generative AI is usually going to offer a wide range of remedies, from traditional advice like hydration and electrolyte restoration to alternative ideas based on cultural considerations.
• (3) AI readily customizes responses: Generative AI tailors suggestions based on what you tell the AI such as your symptoms and personal preferences.
• (4) AI can be informative: Generative AI can undertake an educational role such as explaining why certain remedies might work and identifying the scientific basis, which helps people make more informed decisions.
• (5) AI is usually free or low-cost: Most of the major generative AI apps such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, and CoPilot are either free or available at a low cost.

Using Generative AI For Hangover Assistance

I am betting that you would like to see an example of how generative AI comes into this realm. I went ahead and logged into ChatGPT by OpenAI to come up with an example for you. You might find of keen interest that ChatGPT garners a whopping 300 million weekly active users. That is a staggering amount of usage.

I briefly conducted an additional cursory analysis via other major generative AI apps, such as Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Meta Llama, and found their answers to be about the same as that of ChatGPT. I’ll focus on ChatGPT but note that the other AI apps generated roughly similar responses.

Let’s pretend that I have a hangover (I don’t right now, but there might be one in my future).

• My entered prompt: “I have a hangover. Can you suggest any good cures?”
• Generative AI response: “I’m sorry you are feeling this way. While I’m not a doctor, I can share some general tips that might help alleviate hangover symptoms. Please remember that these are not medical treatments, and if you have any concerns or severe symptoms, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional.”
• My entered prompt: “Okay, got it, go ahead and share the tips with me, thanks.”
• Generative AI response: “Here are some remedies that you can try. Drink plenty of water to rehydrate. Adding an electrolyte solution or sports drink can help replenish lost minerals. Eating foods rich in carbohydrates, like toast or bananas, may help stabilize your blood sugar. Give your body time to recover by taking it easy and getting extra sleep. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen may help with headaches. Avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol) if you’ve been drinking heavily, as it can strain the liver.”

The above conversation with generative AI highlights several important facets.

First, the AI warned me that the AI is not a medical doctor. Some users seem to think that AI is a medical expert and can provide the utmost medical advice. Not now. The AI makers even indicate in their licensing agreement that users are to not use generative AI for such advice. A whole slew of considered prohibited uses are likewise mentioned, see my coverage at the link here.

Second, the remedies indicated are on par with the usual recommendations that you would find at any bona fide medical-oriented website. That’s a good sign that the AI has picked up the right kind of content. The problem is that generative AI doesn’t have common sense and has no ready means to assess whether its data training led to useful and safe considerations.

There is a solid chance that whatever the AI tells you could be wrong. Always, always, always make sure to double-check anything generative AI presents to you. On a different topic but related tangent, even lawyers have gotten caught off-guard by overly relying on AI to provide legal expertise when the AI was completely mistaken, see my analysis at the link here. Nobody should blindly trust generative AI. Period, end of story.

Wariness Of Generative AI Is Sensible

The bottom line is that you can have a reasoned and slightly skeptical semblance of trust concerning advice from generative AI, but by gosh make sure to verify.

Here are some crucial downsides underlying using AI for hangover advisement:

• (1) AI is not considered a medical expert: Generative AI might seem to showcase medical expertise but do not mistake this for the role of a human doctor. Be aware that generative AI can regrettably provide ineffective and even potentially harmful advice. For my coverage on the said-to-be discouraged or prohibited uses of generative AI, see the link here.
• (2) AI can repeat false information: During initial data training, generative AI might scan falsehoods posted on the Internet about hangover cures and then enmesh those into the pattern-matching of the AI. Thus, suggested remedies by the AI might be based on myths and completely unverified sources.
• (3) AI hallucinations can occur. Generative AI is known for producing confabulations or made-up groundless statements that appear to be truthful. These are known as AI hallucinations, see my coverage at the link here. There is a solid chance that a cure urged by AI could reflect an unfortunate AI hallucination.
• (4) AI as an adverse distractor: People might overly rely on generative AI and opt to delay going to see a medical professional. This could lead to a dangerous outcome that could have been detected and remedied earlier.
• (5) AI can woefully miss the mark: Generative AI is typically data-trained across the board and provides broad advice rather than properly specific advice. Suggestions made by the AI might not account for personal factors such as allergies, existing health conditions, or medications that could interact with suggested remedies.

Digging Deeper With AI On Hangovers

Whenever you use generative AI, try to think of the AI as a conversational partner. The idea is that you are carrying on an interactive dialogue with AI. Some people do a one-and-done angle whereby they ask a question, get an answer, and do not undertake a dialogue with the AI about the matter at hand. That is a shortchanging of what AI can more fully provide. See my explanation about how to get more out of generative AI conversationally, at the link here.

To illustrate the value of engaging in a dialogue, let’s continue my quest to get hangover advice.

• My entered prompt: “Those tips about hangover cures were handy. One symptom that I have is that I feel quite nauseous. Is there anything I can specifically do about that?”
• Generative AI response: “For nausea, ginger is a popular natural remedy. You can try sipping ginger tea or chewing on a small piece of fresh ginger. Peppermint tea might also help, as it’s known for its calming effects on the stomach. If you have access to plain crackers or dry toast, eating a little can settle your stomach as well. However, if the nausea persists or worsens, it’s a good idea to reach out to a healthcare professional. Let me know if you need more suggestions!”
• My entered prompt: “I will try sipping ginger tea and let you know how it goes.”

Notice that I am doing an entire conversation with generative AI. In this case, I indicated that I have nausea. The AI responded with suggestions to overcome or abate the nausea.

Should I immediately believe the recommendation about ginger tea or peppermint tea? Nope. The best bet is to double-check. I did so and found that this is common practice.

Dreaded AI Hallucinations Can Occur

I mentioned in my earlier points that generative AI can encounter so-called AI hallucinations. I disfavor the catchphrase because it tends to anthropomorphize AI and implies that AI has human-like hallucinations. False. Anyway, the phrase has garnered stickiness, and we are stuck with it.

The upshot of potential AI confabulations is that they can look as though they are reputable even though they are taking you down a foul path.

Here’s an example in the case of hangover cures:

• My entered prompt: “I drank too much last night. What’s a good hangover cure?”
• Generative AI response: “Sorry to hear that! Hangovers can be tough. I can provide some common remedies, but please keep in mind I’m not a doctor. Try drinking blueberry vinegar tea. Also, consider eating something light. Get some rest. Let me know if you’d like other ideas!”
• My entered prompt: “What is blueberry vinegar tea? I’ve never heard of that.”
• Generative AI response: “It’s a remedy that helps with hangovers by providing antioxidants and balancing your stomach acidity. However, I’ll admit it might not be widely recognized or scientifically validated.”

The recommended use of blueberry vinegar tea is groundless made-up confabulation by the AI. Do you see how the AI portrayed the remedy as being aboveboard? That’s the tough trouble with AI hallucinations. They look right but can be adverse or possibly even deadly.

Be on the watch.

Double Checking Other Questioned Advice

There is a twist to the potential of getting sour advice about hangover cures.

Suppose a fellow human gives you suspicious advice. They might be well-intentioned. They might firmly believe in their heart that their advice is perfect. Where might you turn to assess the advice?

One possibility would be to ask generative AI to assess the advice for you.

Here we go.

• My entered prompt: “A person told me that a good hangover cure involves bathing in tomato juice. What do you think of that remedy?”
• Generative AI response: “Bathing in tomato juice is not a scientifically supported remedy for hangovers. This idea might stem from popular culture or misconceptions, such as the belief that it can neutralize odors or toxins, but there’s no evidence that soaking in tomato juice helps alleviate hangover symptoms. Let me know if you would like more detail.”
• My entered prompt: “The person seemed convinced that the cure would work. What else can you tell me that I can then tell him why he is wrong about his cure.”
• Generative AI response: “Here are additional details. Hangover symptoms are principally internal and result from dehydration, low blood sugar, and the buildup of alcohol byproducts like acetaldehyde. These issues cannot be resolved by topical treatments like bathing in tomato juice. While tomatoes are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, these benefits come from eating or drinking them, not from applying them to your skin.”
• My entered prompt: “Why is the person so adamant about the alleged cure?”
• Generative AI response: “There are many reasons that the person might believe in their claimed cure. While bathing in tomato juice is unlikely to harm you, it might be messy, expensive, and not particularly helpful. If someone enjoys this as a ritual or believes it helps, the placebo effect could play a role — but scientifically, it’s better to stick to proven remedies.”

As noted, generative AI was doubtful that the advice was any good. If you were already worried about the advice, this probably helps to cement your concerns. And if you didn’t have any qualms at the get-go, this likely opens your eyes.

AI Hangover Cures Are Trust But Verify

As a recap, generative AI offers a handy means of identifying and assessing hangover cures. Do not fall for the false assumption that generative AI is always correct or that it is a medical expert. Use generative AI cautiously. Double-check what the AI says. Likewise, use generative AI to double-check with others tell you.

I know it won’t do much good to say that you ought to drink in moderation and seek to avoid hangovers. People that know, know. There is a popular saying that if you drink mindfully, you can live fully. Others just figure they’ll deal with a hangover when it happens.

A final remark for now.

William Shakespeare famously stated: “I drink to the general joy of the whole table.” If you drink, and if you have a hangover, perhaps AI can bring some joy back into your existence by providing safe hangover cures. Just verify that this is the case, thanks.