AI Sends Multiple Alerts After Misreading Chinese Man Small Eye For Being Closed

In a bizzare incident, a Chinese man named Mr. Li faced repeated warnings from a Xiaomi car’s AI fatigue detection system while driving, despite being fully alert.

A video shared on social media shows Mr. Li receiving continuous alerts from the car’s dashboard, which displayed the message, “Please focus on driving, drive safely.” The alerts reportedly triggered because the AI mistook Mr. Li’s small eyes as a sign of fatigue. The clip, recorded by his sister, who was seated next to him, captured both the alerts and her uncontrollable laughter.

Incident Took Place in Xiaomi SU7 Max Car

The event occurred on June 18, while Mr. Li was driving his sister’s Xiaomi SU7 Max. As seen in the video, Mr. Li tried to widen his eyes several times to convince the AI system he was fully awake.

“When I forced my eyes wide open, the alarm stopped. But when I let my eyes return to their normal state, it started again,” Mr. Li said, as quoted by Chinese outlet Sohu. He added that the alerts occur regularly when he drives this particular car, though his sister, the vehicle’s owner, never faces the issue.

After the video went viral, Xiaomi Auto’s customer service responded to queries. As reported by The Sun, the company clarified that users can disable the AI fatigue alert feature, though it is not recommended for safety reasons. The video, shared by X user @Igor90007, garnered thousands of views and sparked a wave of online commentary and debate over AI’s limitations and calibration.

The incident drew widespread reaction on social media, with users posting sarcastic and humorous responses. “AI: OPEN YOUR EYES. The guy: I OPEN ALREADY!!” one wrote. Others questioned how an AI developed by an Asian company could misinterpret facial features common among its user base. 

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