Google issues apology to India over AI controversy; Gemini's reliability questioned: Report
AI platform, Gemini, was deemed 'unreliable' and returned unsubstantiated results in response to a query regarding the Prime Minister. According to statements attributed to Minister of State for IT & Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Indian government had issued a notice to Google seeking clarification regarding the discrepancies in Gemini's responses. In a significant move, Google acknowledged the platform's unreliability, extending an apology to Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government.
This incident unfolded against the backdrop of mounting scrutiny over AI platforms operating in India, with the government announcing plans to mandate permits for their operation. Rajeev Chandrasekhar emphasized the importance of AI platforms respecting Indian consumers and highlighted the legal ramifications under Indian IT and criminal laws for spreading false information. Additionally, the controversy also surrounding Google's AI chatbot Gemini intensified as it faced allegations of racial bias and historical inaccuracies.
Criticism ensued when Gemini reportedly refused to generate images of white individuals and depicted historically white figures as people of color. Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, faced calls for resignation amid the furor. In response to the outcry, Google took steps to address the concerns, temporarily halting Gemini's human image generation capabilities.
Sundar Pichai condemned the error as "completely unacceptable" and pledged to rectify the situation. However, demands for Pichai's resignation surged, with analysts Ben Thompson and Mark Shmulik suggesting that leadership changes within Google were imperative. Ben Thompson underscored the need for a transformative shift within Google, advocating for the
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