Google’s AI-powered search engine is facing criticism for generating search results that are being described as unreliable and bizarre. Critics have pointed out instances where the AI recommended adding glue to pizza sauce and touted the health benefits of tobacco to children. This controversial feature, known as “AI Overviews,” automatically generates summaries for complex user queries while pushing down links to other websites. Despite ongoing bugs affecting the chatbot’s credibility, the feature has been rolled out to all US users and is expected to reach over one billion users by the end of the year.
One example that circulated on social media showed Google’s AI-generated response to a query about cheese not sticking to pizza, where it suggested adding glue to the sauce for extra stickiness. The chatbot’s unusual behavior extended to inaccurate information for queries about presidents attending a university and the health benefits of tobacco for preteens. Users also noticed that the AI struggled with converting kilometers to a specific object and provided strange responses to queries about treating appendix pain at home.
Critics, including Tom Warren from The Verge, have condemned Google’s AI search results as a “disaster” and expressed distrust in the reliability of the platform. The company defended the AI overviews, stating that the bizarre examples are rare and not representative of most users’ experiences. Google emphasized that the majority of AI overviews provide high-quality information with links for further exploration and claimed to have safeguards in place to prevent harmful content from appearing in results.
This recent backlash against Google’s AI chatbot is not the first time the company’s AI technology has come under scrutiny. Earlier this year, Google faced criticism for its Gemini chatbot’s AI imaging tool producing historically inaccurate images, leading to the feature being disabled and an apology from the company.
Overall, the criticisms against Google’s AI-powered search engine highlight concerns about the spread of misinformation and the need for proper safeguards when implementing AI technologies. The company’s efforts to address these issues and ensure the reliability and accuracy of its AI are ongoing as they work to improve the performance of their chatbot.
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https://nypost.com/2024/05/23/business/google-ai-overviews-disaster-add-glue-to-pizza-sauce-health-benefits-of-tobacco/