What you need to know
- AI Overview is an experimental feature Google uses for its search engine that gives users a brief summary of notable search results when a query is entered.
- Since its introduction, however, AI Overview has come under intense scrutiny for showing users absurdly inaccurate and/or downright dangerous information and suggestions.
- The feature’s latest snafu saw it recently erroneously list a game developer’s personal phone number as the main contact for a studio he hasn’t worked at for over eight years.
- As a result of the blunder, the developer received an irate phone call from a parent complaining about content in a game their child plays that he worked on, as the parent thought they were contacting the developer’s office.
As a tech-savvy individual who has witnessed the rapid advancement of AI over the years, I find myself constantly amazed and sometimes alarmed by its capabilities. The latest blunder involving Google’s experimental AI Overview feature is a perfect example of how far we still have to go in ensuring that these powerful tools are used responsibly.
I recently noticed an uproar regarding Google’s experimental AI Overview search feature, as it seems to be delivering peculiar results and recommendations that vary from startlingly incorrect to potentially harmful, with one recent incident even leading to the inadvertent disclosure of a game developer’s private phone number.
Lately, Rogelio Delgado, a senior environment artist at Skybound Games, shared a series of tweets detailing an angry phone call he received from the parent of a child. The father called to express discontent about content in Conan Exiles – an M-rated, open-world survival game from 2017 developed by Funcom’s Dune: Awakening studio, which his son plays – and found Delgado’s contact information online due to his previous employment at Funcom eight years prior.
Following an uneasy and contentious conversation, it turned out that the caller later on expressed remorse, admitting he had been given the number by his assistant without realizing that Delgado no longer worked at Funcom. Moments later, he sent a screenshot to Delgado which showed Google’s AI Overview erroneously listing Delgado’s personal phone number as the main corporate office for Funcom. Unsurprisingly, Delgado was furious over this mistake.
but how google AI made the leap that THAT was the number for the CORPERATE OFFICE LOCATED IN NORWAY… AND TELLING PEOPLE WITH ITS WHOLE CHEST. WTFI am aghast. @GoogleAI GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER 9/9October 10, 2024
“My ONLY guess on how this happened is that I have my phone number on my resume that also has me listed as a past employee of Funcom,” he wrote in his social media thread. “…but how google AI made the leap that THAT was the number for the CORPERATE OFFICE LOCATED IN NORWAY… AND TELLING PEOPLE WITH ITS WHOLE CHEST. WTF. I am aghast. @GoogleAI GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER.”
Users determined that the AI had mistakenly obtained the number from an incorrect listing on LeadIQ’s prospecting platform. However, in hindsight, it should have gathered information from Funcom’s publicly available contact page instead. To put it simply, this mistake was significant, and considering similar errors could potentially involve sensitive data like home addresses or office locations, there’s good reason to be concerned about potential hazardous situations if Google’s AI were to make such mistakes.
Previously mentioned, Google’s AI projects have stirred up disputes similar to the one we’re discussing now, as they aim to rival Microsoft Copilot. This year alone, concerns arose around AI Overview due to its delivery of questionable search outcomes. Examples include suggesting people add glue to their pizza sauce, promoting rocks as a nutritious snack, and advocating suicide to individuals struggling with depression. While some queries might have been manipulated to generate social media engagement, many were linked to old Reddit comments. Regardless of the origin, it’s essential to implement safeguards to prevent such inappropriate results from emerging.
As a user relying on AI language models, it’s clear that the significance of accurate, well-vetted sources and information cannot be overstated. It’s crucial for these systems to have filters in place to prevent the dissemination of harmful or misleading data, and for companies like Google to ensure their search assistants effectively combine these elements. If AI is indeed our future, I can only hope that such glitches don’t persist for too long. While I must admit my skepticism remains, engaging with models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot has provided moments of optimism, even when I tried to challenge them.
Despite the gravity of the AI error here, it did at least lead to a pretty funny comment from Funcom chief creative officer and Dune: Awakening creative director Joel Bylos: “On the other hand, thanks for taking the heat for me man :).” There’s always a silver lining.
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2024-10-17 01:09