Since the launch of the AI-powered AI Overview feature in Google Search in the US, disturbing and embarrassing errors have come to light. This feature, which provides users with direct answers to their questions, appears to have difficulty distinguishing between serious information and humorous or satirical content. This led to sometimes absurd recommendations, such as suggesting that pizza cheese be attached with non-toxic glue or the claim that dogs play in the NBA and NFL.
Why do these errors happen?
The cause of these errors lies in the AI's inability to distinguish jokes and satire from real information. The software gets its answers from sources such as funny social media posts or articles on satirical websites like The Onion. One example is the absurd claim that geologists recommend eating a small rock every day.
A Google spokeswoman explained that these errors were due to very unusual search queries and did not reflect what most users were searching or experiencing. Nevertheless, these examples would be used to improve the product.
Criticism and challenges
There was already criticism when the function was presented at the Google I/O conference. One demo showed a man asking the AI for a solution to his non-working camera. The answer “open the back of the camera and carefully remove the roll of film” showed the unreliability of the AI since modern cameras no longer use rolls of film.
Historical problems with AI tools
Google isn't the only company struggling with the challenges of AI tools. Back in February, Google had to justify errors in its AI software Gemini, which produced inappropriate images. Such incidents show that the technology is not yet fully developed and is prone to errors.
Impact and future of “AI Overview”
Despite the error-prone nature, Google plans to introduce the “AI Overview” function in more countries by the end of the year. This is causing concern among many website operators and media outlets, who fear that Google will drive less traffic to their sites through AI summaries. Google, on the other hand, argues that the sources of the information in the summaries actually receive more traffic.
questions and answers
Why did Google introduce AI Overview when it is so error-prone?
Google's approach is to quickly make innovative features available to a broad user base in order to learn from real user data and improve products. Introducing “AI Overview” despite known flaws serves this goal, even if it leads to embarrassing mistakes in the short term.
How does Google respond to criticism of AI errors?
Google acknowledges the mistakes and is working to improve AI technology. Feedback and criticism are used to optimize the algorithms and avoid future errors. This is an ongoing process that requires constant adjustments and improvements.
What measures is Google taking to increase the reliability of AI answers?
Google is constantly implementing new filters and checking systems to better verify the sources of information. In addition, employees and external experts are used to check the quality and accuracy of the answers and ensure that the AI does not provide misleading information.
How do AI's mistakes affect users' trust in Google?
The incorrect answers can affect users' trust in the reliability of Google search. In the long term, this could lead to an image problem for Google if the AI errors are not fixed. Therefore, it is important that Google responds quickly and effectively to restore trust.
What can users do to get correct information?
Users should be aware that AI-generated answers are not always accurate and should therefore consult additional sources for verification. If you have important or unusual questions, it is advisable to consult several sources of information and to critically examine the results.
Conclusion
The introduction of AI-powered features like AI Overview shows that the technology is still in its infancy and prone to errors. Google and other companies face the challenge of refining their AI systems to provide more reliable and accurate information. Despite the current problems, further development of these technologies has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and usability of search engines.
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Source: derStandard
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1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

