Google’s new AI feature is facing criticism after spewing out inaccurate responses to questions. It appeared to reinforce conspiracy theories that Barack Obama is secretly Muslim, as well as suggesting dangerous food choices.
Google’s new search feature that uses AI to answer some users’ questions is facing criticism over its inaccurate responses, including telling users to eat rocks and mix pizza cheese with glue.
AI Overview rolled out across the US last week and became available to some users in the UK last month.
It is designed to make searching for information simpler but since the rollout, examples of erratic behaviour by the feature have flooded social media.
In one example, the artificial intelligence (AI) appeared to tell users to mix glue with cheese to make it stick to pizza. It even gave specifics: “You can also add about ⅛ cup of non-toxic glue to the sauce to give it more tackiness.”
That recommendation appears to have come from a joke Reddit post 11 years ago and should not be followed. Eating glue is dangerous.
Another response told users only 17 of the 42 US presidents were white. “I’m learning a lot about American history with Google’s AI Overview,” posted Bobby Allyn who spotted the blunder.
AI Overview also claimed former US president Barack Obama is Muslim. While President Obama was in office, there were multiple untrue conspiracy theories that he secretly practised Islam despite being a Christian.
Former spokesperson for President Obama Tommy Vietor posted the search result, saying sarcastically: “Google’s new AI overview search is off to a great start.”
In response to the question “what is the safe temperature for cooking chicken”, one user posted a result appearing to show Google’s answer as 38 degrees Celsius.
The safe temperature is actually 73.9 degrees Celsius and the chicken should be this temperature all the way through. Any lower and you risk getting a number of dangerous illnesses.
On the subject of things you shouldn’t eat, AI Overview also recommended a user eat “at least one small rock a day”, according to X user Heshiebee.
The response even cited “UC Berkeley geologists” as its source for the recommendation, saying rocks “contain vitamins and minerals that are important for digestive health”. It does come with a warning, however, that eating rocks “can be dangerous”.
To be clear, you shouldn’t eat rocks. Doing so could kill you.