AI Overview provides users with a summary of responses to questions asked on Google Search and appears at the top of the screen. And some of the responses that the feature is giving users could potentially make them sick. When one Google Search user typed “cheese not sticking to pizza,” Google’s AI Overview gave some advice that we would hope no one would follow. The suggestion was to add “about 1/8 cup of nontoxic glue to the sauce.” Internet sleuths found the source of the advice in an 11-year-old Reddit post.
Imagine receiving this bit of dangerous advice
And if a response is attributed to a well-regarded source, it can make a dangerous suggestion appear to be more legitimate in users’ minds. When a Google Search user asked, “How long can I stare at the sun for best health?” the response was, “According to WebMD, scientists say that staring at the sun for 5-15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes if you have darker skin, is generally safe and provides the most health benefits.” Surely the gang at WebMD wouldn’t be happy to read that.
The source of one Google AI Overview response came from an 11-year-old Reddit post
Here’s another one. When asked “How many rocks should I eat each day?,” Google Search’s AI Overview responded, “According to UC Berkeley geologists, people should eat at least one small rock a day.” Ironically, when someone asked whether Google Search violates antitrust law, the response probably made Google executives angry. “Yes, the U.S. Justice Department and 11 states are suing Google for antitrust violations.” The DOJ might call Google’s AI Overview as a witness.
In a statement, Google told CNBC, “The vast majority of AI Overviews provide high-quality information, with links to dig deeper on the web. Many of the examples we’ve seen have been uncommon queries, and we’ve also seen examples that were doctored or that we couldn’t reproduce.” Google says that AI Overview went through “extensive testing” before being launched and is taking “swift action where appropriate under our content policies.”
If a Google AI Overview answer doesn’t make sense, use your common sense. Don’t put nontoxic glue in your food, absolutely do not stare at the sun for 5 to 15 minutes, and don’t eat one small rock each day.
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