Bordeaux University Hospital warns against using artificial intelligence to identify mushrooms intended for consumption. The hospital center received more than 200 patients in 2026, three times more than the previous year. Very often, these people had relied on an AI verdict before eating.
- Le CHU de Bordeaux met en garde contre l’usage de l’intelligence artificielle pour identifier les champignons comestibles.
- Plus de 200 patients sont arrivés en 2026, souvent après un verdict de l’IA.
- Une photo ne suffit pas : l’angle, la météo, l’âge et l’odeur comptent aussi.
- Dans le doute, ne pas consommer le champignon, et limiter la cueillette à 200 grammes par personne et par semaine.
In the forest, more and more foragers are using these tools. Mycologist and pharmacist Jean-Baptiste Cokelaer, based in Hauts-de-France, observes this phenomenon in his own pharmacy. “Spontaneously,” he points out, “they’ll say: ‘with the photo I took, I did a search’.”
However, a simple photo is not enough to identify a mushroom. “If it’s a top view, obviously, you can’t see if there are gills, if there are folds, if there are small spines or if there are tubes,” explains the specialist, thus highlighting the importance of “the shooting angle.” The appearance of the same mushroom can also vary depending on the weather, whether it has rained a lot or been very dry, or whether it is young or old.
For this reason, appearance is not enough. Other criteria must also be taken into account. “There is the smell, there is the touch, under which tree it grows… We must convey the message that The AI / news will never replace the human eye and human senses,” he insists.
Simple rules to follow
The mycologist states several principles. You must trust trained pharmacists or rely on recent publications, and cross-check several identification signs. In case of doubt, the mushroom must not be consumed.
The text also recalls a consumption limit: consumption should be limited to 200 grams of wild mushrooms per person per week, because these plants absorb some of the pollution from the soils on which they grow.
