AI and the SBO Forums

[Dave]

In recent weeks I have noticed an increase in what appear to be responses generated by AI in the forums. Some of the posts have been identified as coming from an AI platform, others seem thinly disguised. Likewise, some of the AI responses seem fairly accurate, others contain inaccurate or less than ideal answers.

My question is simple, how should the SBO community handle posts generated by AI?

Thank you for your thoughts.

Fair Winds,

Dave
SBO Forum Admin

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I would hope that we as a community, would correct misinformation, regardless of the source. Perhaps there's a forum plugin that helps identify the likelihood of an AI generated post and reports it to readers as a potential warning. This way they are aware and can make their own informed decision about the information presented.

 

[kappykaplan]

I would hope that we as a community, would correct misinformation, regardless of the source. Perhaps there's a forum plugin that helps identify the likelihood of an AI generated post and reports it to readers as a potential warning. This way they are aware and can make their own informed decision about the information presented.

 

[dLj]

Personally I'm pretty sick and tired of dealing with AI generated content. I find it especially irritating when a question is posed that comes from an AI generated source.

I have no issue with folks searching using AI and then saying something to the nature of "this is what I found through AI" and then copying the info there. Essentially all us humans identify ourselves - the impersonation of humans by AI I find disturbing, and deceitful.

My preference would be that AI should not be allowed to post. If some human is using AI to help identify the answer to a question that's fine - but a strictly AI generated question should be banned - or perhaps as a minimum, be identified as such. If AI is answering a question posted I question if it should be allowed, but at a minimum it should be identified as such.

In summary: I would prefer AI not be allowed to post, but at a minimum it should be identified as being AI. I have no issue with people using AI to help find an answer, but it should be identified as such.

dj

 

[BigEasy]

Personally I'm pretty sick and tired of dealing with AI generated content. I find it especially irritating when a question is posed that comes from an AI generated source.

Agree completely with @dLj . I do not frequent Facebook; however, there are a few facegroup groups that I monitor. Really aggravating when a post, that is obviously generated by AI, presents outright lies & half truths. For that reason, I would not want AI generated posts appearing here. I read recently that AI in many cases doesn’t provide a proper analysis, but provides info based on what it ”thinks” you want to know. No place for that on the SBO forum.
Thanks for addressing this Dave, before it gets out of hand.

 

[degas]

Please add my voice: I prefer that AI not be allowed to participate in this forum.

I value and appreciate forums like this one because people get to share and connect with other people. If I want to deal with an AI, I'll reach out to my bank's chat bot.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

My preference would be that AI should not be allowed to post.

Absolutely. I feel it should be BANNED and such notice be posted in LARGE LETTERS that anyone caught (or suspected) of using AI be :

1. Allowed to defend themselves if they claim innocence.

2. If guilty, be given and extended holiday from the site.

With all that's going wrong in the world today, I feel that honest, human communication on this site (and any site for that matter) is just one tiny facet of life that may assist in trying to maintain civilization as we know it today. Better make that "yesterday."

 

[Project_Mayhem]

My preference would be no AI but I realize how difficult it would be to reinforce this accurately

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

My question is simple, how should the SBO community handle posts generated by AI?

Maybe SBO management could supply emoticons amongst the likes that let site members identify any material which they see as being AI generated such as :

I can't see that causing any problems at all .

 

[degas]

If you'll let me get further into the weeds with this, I'm glad that SailboatOwners is being transparent. Thank you!

And wherever the forum admins choose to go from here is up to them, of course.

But there's always a but...

Even if AI-generated content was explicitly labeled, I imagine that I would lose trust in the forum and likely participate less.

Rationale: right now I'm able to figure out how much trust to put into forum members and threads. And that trust is pretty high because people come here with a variety of experiences and a common interest in something we love sooooo much. I don't want to deal with a layer that distances me from fellow sailors and erodes my trust.

 

[jssailem]

My question is simple, how should the SBO community handle posts generated by AI?

My understanding of this question.

• The scenario is that an AI bot or a programmer signed up as a sailor. The bot then created a question, and it was posted on one of our forums.
  • In such a case, I agree with the responses that the forums are not a place to teach AI systems about sailing.

Going beyond the "Simple question".

• Is AI material to be permitted at all on the Forums?
• If not, what impact will that have on the forums as an evolving knowledge-sharing platform?
• Are members permitted to utilize the search features of AI tools to examine issues and then submit their findings to a forum discussion? If so, what footnotes are required?
• What guidelines are acceptable?
• Must all submissions be personal experiences?
• How do we define an AI-generated submission?
• If you use Google to search a subject, is that AI-generated material?

Such discussions are fruitful for the gathered forum members. A clear and concise set of expectations can help preserve the forum's culture.

 

[Dave]

My understanding of this question.

• The scenario is that an AI bot or a programmer signed up as a sailor. The bot then created a question, and it was posted on one of our forums.
  • In such a case, I agree with the responses that the forums are not a place to teach AI systems about sailing.

That is not a correct understanding.

All registrations are screened to reduce the chance of a bot registering. SBO routinely denies membership to applicants who do not pass the screening.

The concern is the number of posts on SBO that appear to be the product of AI and are not identified as such and the subsequent misinformation posted.

 

[Davidasailor26]

I think the best responses to any question are the ones where the respondent provides their own expertise based on experience or specific research. Providing an answer pasted from an AI is a little lazy and I think just a new form of pasting a “let me google that for you” link. Having said that, I don’t know what the best way for the mods to handle AI responses is. If a post is wrong I think it’s always been the culture of the forum to correct it and let the thread serve as the proper record getting to the right answer. Generally I think that can work for correcting AI posts too. In a perfect world AI posts wouldn’t get Like’s if they’re generic or incorrect, posters who use them excessively would have a lower Like count, and readers could take that into account when reviewing a thread. Unfortunately the Like system doesn’t seem to work well for that. Over the years I’ve seen some posters who are right about as often as a broken clock, but the Likes don’t really bear that out. Maybe the best alternative is just a policy that excessive AI use, particularly pasting misleading info, will get you a stern conversation with SBO Police Bot, and maybe a vacation if it keeps up?

 

[jssailem]

Thank you for the clarification regarding the question.

The idea that there is an “Appearance” and the label “Misinformation” can be very subjective. It is my hope that we choose not to become the thought police of subjective viewpoints. We should be adult enough to tolerate the presentation of differing viewpoints without the need for public shaming or censorship. There necessarily should be room for perspective, and it may lead to differing conclusions.

This has been a hallmark of some of the more interesting discussions here. Civility being exercised in the debate.

I suggest as an example: the discussion on anchors or docking technique. Both have demonstrated that solutions are not singular in style or success.

 

[DaveJ]

I guess I’m a Luddite that loves to sail and has learned so much from this forum over the years. This is a great conversation that I never had thought of. AI posts questions?? Thanks to the moderator for addressing this.
My opinion, AI cannot replace the individual experiences that have been shared on this forum, at least not yet…
Personality shows through when real people ask and answer questions. People are not always correct in their answers, but usually a proper discussion follows.. not with AI generated answers.
Please refrain from letting AI enter the forum, if possible.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Thank you for the clarification regarding the question.

The idea that there is an “Appearance” and the label “Misinformation” can be very subjective. It is my hope that we choose not to become the thought police of subjective viewpoints. We should be adult enough to tolerate the presentation of differing viewpoints without the need for public shaming or censorship. There necessarily should be room for perspective, and it may lead to differing conclusions.

This has been a hallmark of some of the more interesting discussions here. Civility being exercised in the debate.

I suggest as an example: the discussion on anchors or docking technique. Both have demonstrated that solutions are not singular in style or success.

I agree - I don’t think we want a “misinformation” label or something like that, and the normal course of conversation is the best way to discuss disagreements. But I don’t think that’s the question here. I think this question is about AI generated answers, not just giving a perspective.

To give an example - just earlier today I participated in a discussion where I recommended the use of epoxy in reply to another post recommending polyester. These are two different viewpoints and I certainly wouldn’t want either of those marked as misinformation. But if someone came into the thread with a generic AI pasted explanation of the difference between epoxy and polyester, with no personal value added, then I think it would be fair for that to be tagged as AI so others who don’t want to bother with it could scroll past.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Rationale: right now I'm able to figure out how much trust to put into forum members and threads. And that trust if pretty high because people come here with a variety of experiences and a common interest in something we love sooooo much.

This ^^^ makes the most sense. Remember when Google first came out and people cut&pasted answers? that got old pretty quick.
So will this 'fad." It becomes pretty obvious when an answer is computer generated.
Those of us who have been around the block and who are regulars here, will be more than willing to help us all identify the CG garbage.
That's all it will take.

 

[garymalmgren]

RE: The concern is the number of posts on SBO that appear to be the product of AI and are not identified as such and the subsequent misinformation posted.

Firstly Dave, I would like to come back to you and ask what you think is appropriate?
After all, you are one of the people who have to deal with this issue and make the final call.

An example of the usefulness of AI is a simple question. What percentage of sailors in the US died in 2024 who were not wearinp a personal flotation device?

Here is the answer,
AI Overview
In 2024,
87% of fatal boating victims who drowned were not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), according to data that also states 76% of all boating fatalities were due to drowning. This means that 87% of the 76% of victims drowned without a PFD, a statistic often used to emphasize the importance of life jacket use in boating safety.


You will note that I have identified this as AI sourced.
Now imagine what you would have to go through to get this information without the aid of AI.


Thanks all for the informative input.

gary

 

[jssailem]

The premise:
A story in 121 words. Jake a new Catalina 30 boat owner. Jake is new to sailing. Jake is going out for the first time. John is on the dock walking to his boat. The wind is brisk.


I stood at the edge of the dock, staring at my new Catalina 30. The wind was brisk, tugging at the sails and making my heart race. Today was the day—my first solo sail. I’d taken lessons, but this felt different. As I fumbled with the lines, I saw John walking down the dock toward his own boat. He must’ve noticed my nerves. “First time out?” he asked with a grin. I nodded, trying to hide my anxiety. “No worries,” he said. “It’s a good day to sail, but watch the mainsail. Don’t rush.” I took a deep breath, untied the lines, and eased the boat out of the slip. The wind caught the sails, and for a moment, everything felt right.


On the dock, a new boat. A sleek Catalina 30 with a sailor buzzing about getting ready.
Hey, your boat?
I just got it.
Welcome to the dock. You're getting ready to go out?
Yes. First sail.
It is a bit brisk out there. The name is John.
Hi. I’m Jake.
Need help?
Na. I got it.
Walking down the dock to my boat, I arrived at the slip. Jake was sliding past a bit too fast, with fenders dragging in the water and being pushed by the wind close to the boats downwind.
Jake, “Watch out,” there is a boat sticking out a bit. Jake waved.
I listened. Crunch. There it is—the sound of fiberglass against metal.


I gripped the wheel of my new Catalina 30, heart pounding. First time solo—manual half-read, coffee half-drunk. Slipped the dock lines. Sails up; the brisk wind snapped the canvas like a flag. I sheeted in, boat heeling hard. Grinning, I yelled into the gusts.
John strode down the pier toward his slip, salt-and-pepper beard, oilskins flapping. He paused, eyed my wild tack. “Ease the main, Jake! You’ll capsize before lunch!”
I laughed, trimmed the sail. The boat leveled, surged forward. Spray stung my face. John waved, boarded his own sloop. Wind carried us both—rookie and veteran—into the glittering bay.

Which of these stories is AI?

 

[Phil Herring]

Great question, Dave!

A distinction worth making: At least some of the AI-like posts we see may simply be polished by AI. The content of the question or answer may be from the user, then turned into a more coherent question or answer by ChatGPT. But I agree 100% that statistics, specific processes, and step-by-step instructions provided by AI should be identified.

That warning can be added to the rules and posting screens. I'm not aware of any plug-ins that identify AI posts but I'm sure someone, somewhere, is working on it!

Sidebar: It blows my mind that when these forums opened there was no need for passwords. Times certainly have changed.

Edit: The Washington Post has an article today on how to identify AI from its writing style: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2025/how-detect-chatgpt-em-dash/