Google’s new AI Overview search feature is facing backlash after users reported receiving wildly inaccurate and potentially harmful information.
Launched in May 2024 as part of the tech giant’s experimental AI search results, the feature aims to provide users with a quick summary of answers to their queries. While Google claims millions of users have engaged with the feature and have been “more satisfied with their results,” social media users have shared very different experiences.
Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have been flooded with examples of strange, incorrect, and even dangerous responses from the AI Overview feature, raising concerns about the reliability of Google’s generative AI.
Disturbing and Bizarre Search Results
Several of the most alarming examples shared online highlight how Google’s AI can provide dangerously misleading information. One user asked a seemingly bizarre question: “Can a cockroach live in your penis?” The AI response was both shocking and inaccurate, stating, “Absolutely! It’s totally normal, too. Usually, over the course of a year, 5-10 cockroaches will crawl into your penis hole while you are asleep (this is how they got the name ‘cock’ roach), and you won’t even notice a thing.”
Such bizarre answers have left many users questioning the reliability of AI-generated responses, especially when it comes to health and safety.
Dangerous Health Advice
Another troubling response came when a user asked whether smoking during pregnancy was safe. Google’s AI Overview shockingly advised, “Doctors recommend smoking 2-3 cigarettes per day during pregnancy.” This blatantly false information goes against medical consensus, which warns that smoking can have severe consequences for fetal development.
Google’s system also gave dangerous advice on sun exposure, suggesting that staring directly at the sun could be beneficial. According to the AI response: “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.” Medical professionals widely warn against such behaviour, as it can lead to serious eye damage.
Misleading Food and Nutrition Suggestions
Google’s AI has also been accused of providing ludicrous advice in other areas. For instance, when users searched for solutions to cheese not sticking to pizza, the AI Overview suggested adding “one-eighth of a cup of non-toxic glue to the sauce to give it more tackiness.”
Even more shocking was a recommendation about eating rocks. The AI claimed, “According to geologists at UC Berkeley, you should eat at least one small rock per day,” citing a fabricated professional who suggested consuming gravel for its supposed nutritional value. Such absurd recommendations not only highlight the errors in Google’s AI but also pose potential dangers if taken seriously by users.
Widespread Criticism
As more users share their experiences with these incorrect and often harmful responses, concerns are growing about the risks associated with relying on AI for critical information. While generative AI can offer convenience and quick answers, these examples demonstrate that it is far from foolproof.
Google has yet to address these specific cases publicly, but the controversy surrounding its AI Overview feature raises questions about the future of AI in search engines and its role in providing safe, accurate, and reliable information to users.
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