Bytedance AI assistant misidentifies toxic mushroom, user poisoned in China
A Chinese user reportedly suffered acute kidney failure after consuming a mushroom that Bytedance's Doubao AI assistant had misidentified, despite the system including safety warnings about the risks of confusion with toxic species. The company emphasized that AI responses should only be used as reference material and users should seek professional verification for matters involving personal safety.
What happened
A user in China used Doubao to photograph and identify a mushroom collected from a residential compound. Doubao identified the mushroom as 'chicken leg mushroom' and included warnings that it could be confused with the highly toxic pale webcap mushroom, that misuse could cause severe gastroenteritis, and that the mushroom should not be eaten if it was wild-collected.
Reported impact
The user disregarded the warnings and consumed the mushroom, reportedly suffering acute kidney failure.
Index analysis
Douyin Vice-President Li Liang stated on June 5, 2026 that AI is still in development and that users should treat AI responses only as reference material and consult multiple sources for verification, especially for matters involving personal safety. Li Liang noted that even mushrooms from residential areas that are non-toxic may contain pesticide residue.
Governance controls
Doubao provided explicit safety warnings in its response, noting the risk of confusion with toxic species, the high risk of misidentification, and stating that pictures alone cannot rule out toxic similar species.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.