Xiao Ao receives treatment in the PICU Photo: Screenshot from media reports

A nine-year-old boy hovered on the brink of death after his family consumed highly toxic wild mushrooms that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) identification app had marked as non-toxic, domestic media outlet China News Service reported. 

A boy named Xiao Ao went mountain hiking with his family, where they picked a batch of wild mushrooms that closely resembled Termitomyces mushrooms, a popular edible wild fungus in China.

To avoid potential risks, the family used an AI‑powered identification app to determine whether the mushrooms they had picked were toxic. After receiving a "non‑toxic" result, they cooked and ate the mushrooms without worry, China News Service reported.

Shortly after eating the mushrooms, Xiao Ao and his parents began suffering from vomiting and severe gastrointestinal discomfort. Xiao Ao's mother made him drink salt water to induce vomiting. His symptoms eased slightly afterward, so he went to bed without seeking medical treatment.

By the early hours of the next day, all three began vomiting and rushed to the hospital, the report said.

After admission, Xiao Ao's condition kept deteriorating. He was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit for emergency treatment that same afternoon. Examinations confirmed that the boy had developed to the severe and dangerous Grade IV mushroom poisoning, the most severe classification of the illness, per the report. 

The toxic mushrooms triggered multiple life-threatening complications including acute liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, and pleural and peritoneal effusion, leaving him in critical condition.

Fortunately, after eight days of hospital care, Xiao Ao fully recovered and was discharged home, the report said.

Experts warn that AI identification results can only serve as a reference, urging the public to stay away from wild mushrooms and refrain from picking or eating any wild mushrooms of unknown origin.


Global Times