www.nytimes.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.1.164  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Skip to contentSkip to site indexSearch & Section NavigationSection Navigation
SEARCH
Technology

Try 7 days freeLog in
Friday, May 24, 2024
Today’s Paper
Try 7 days free

Artificial Intelligence

 * Chatbots and Disinformation
 * When A.I. Takes Your Voice
 * Google’s A.I. Evolution
 * A.I.’s ‘Her’ Era Arrives
 * Faces Quiz

Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT





Supported by

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT





GOOGLE’S A.I. SEARCH ERRORS CAUSE A FUROR ONLINE

The company’s latest A.I. search feature has erroneously told users to eat glue
and rocks, provoking a backlash among users.

 * Share full article
 * 
 * 
 * 32


Sundar Pichai, the Alphabet chief executive, spoke about Gemini at a Google I/O
event in May.Credit...Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

By Nico Grant

Reporting from New York

May 24, 2024Updated 3:33 p.m. ET

Last week, Google unveiled its biggest change to search in years, showcasing new
artificial intelligence capabilities that answer people’s questions in the
company’s attempt to catch up to rivals Microsoft and OpenAI.

The new technology has since generated a litany of untruths and errors —
including recommending glue as part of a pizza recipe and the ingesting of rocks
for nutrients — giving a black eye to Google and causing a furor online.

The incorrect answers in the feature, called AI Overview, have undermined trust
in a search engine that more than two billion people turn to for authoritative
information. And while other A.I. chatbots tell lies and act weird, the backlash
demonstrated that Google is under more pressure to safely incorporate A.I. into
its search engine.

The launch also extends a pattern of Google’s having issues with its newest A.I.
features immediately after rolling them out. In February 2023, when Google
announced Bard, a chatbot to battle ChatGPT, it shared incorrect information
about outer space. The company’s market value subsequently dropped by $100
billion.



Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT



This February, the company released Bard’s successor, Gemini, a chatbot that
could generate images and act as a voice-operated digital assistant. Users
quickly realized that the system refused to generate images of white people in
most instances and drew inaccurate depictions of historical figures.

With each mishap, tech industry insiders have criticized the company for
dropping the ball. But in interviews, financial analysts said Google needed to
move quickly to keep up with its rivals, even if it meant growing pains.

Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.


A correction was made on 
May 24, 2024
: 

An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to a Google result from
the company’s new artificial-intelligence tool AI Overview. A social media
commenter claimed that a result for a search on depression suggested jumping off
the Golden Gate Bridge as a remedy. That result was faked, a Google spokeswoman
said, and never appeared in real results.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an
error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more

Nico Grant is a technology reporter covering Google from San Francisco.
Previously, he spent five years at Bloomberg News, where he focused on Google
and cloud computing. More about Nico Grant

See more on: Alphabet Inc.
Read 32 Comments
 * Share full article
 * 
 * 
 * 32





Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT




COMMENTS 32

Google’s A.I. Search Errors Cause a Furor OnlineSkip to Comments
Share your thoughts.
The Times needs your voice. We welcome your on-topic commentary, criticism and
expertise. Comments are moderated for civility.




SITE INDEX




SITE INFORMATION NAVIGATION

 * © 2024 The New York Times Company

 * NYTCo
 * Contact Us
 * Accessibility
 * Work with us
 * Advertise
 * T Brand Studio
 * Your Ad Choices
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms of Service
 * Terms of Sale
 * Site Map
 * Canada
 * International
 * Help
 * Subscriptions



Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Times.

See subscription options