Google's AI tells users to add glue to their pizza, eat rocks and make chlorine gas
Is Google's AI Endangering Users?
Google's new AI search tool, "AI Overviews," which uses the Gemini AI model, has been advising users to engage in dangerous activities like eating rocks and adding glue to pizza, based on unreliable sources like satirical and comedic content. Despite these issues, Google claims that such instances are rare and not reflective of the typical user experience, emphasizing that most AI-generated summaries provide high-quality information. The tool is currently in experimental use in the U.S., with a global rollout planned later this year.
What specific dangerous or bizarre advice has Google's new AI overview feature reportedly given to users?
Google's new AI Overview feature has reportedly given users dangerous and bizarre advice, including:
- Adding glue to pizza sauce for more tackiness, which was traced back to a decade-old joke comment on Reddit.
- Suggesting users eat at least one small rock per day, which was based on a satirical article from The Onion.
- Claiming Barack Obama is a Muslim, which is a falsehood and part of a conspiracy theory.
- Stating that Founding Father John Adams graduated from the University of Wisconsin 21 times, which is incorrect.
- Suggesting a dog played in the NBA, NHL, and NFL, which is not true.
- In response to a query about depression, the AI offered advice on jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, highlighting its elevation and fatality rate.
It is important to note that Google representatives said these examples are "generally very uncommon queries, and aren't representative of most people's experiences." They also mentioned that "the vast majority of AI Overviews provide high quality information, with links to dig deeper on the web."
How does the AI Overviews tool function, and what AI model does it utilize?
The AI Overviews tool is an update to Google's search engine that uses artificial intelligence to summarize search results. It is designed to provide users with a quick overview of a topic by presenting AI-generated answers and summaries at the top of the search results page3. The tool utilizes the Gemini AI model, which is a large language model developed by Google.
The AI Overviews tool works by scouring the web to find relevant information and summarizing it using the Gemini AI model. It aims to provide users with a quick answer to their search query, saving them the time and effort of sifting through multiple search results. The tool has been rolled out to some users in the U.S. and is planned for worldwide release later this year.
However, the AI Overviews tool has been criticized for providing bizarre and dangerous advice in some instances, such as suggesting users add glue to their pizza or eat rocks. Google has defended the tool, stating that the majority of AI Overviews provide high-quality information and that the examples of erroneous results are uncommon queries.