Google AI search asks users to eat rocks, put glue on pizza

Google’s new artificial intelligence (AI) search feature is facing criticism for providing inaccurate answers, once again. In a recent instance, its experimental "AI Overviews" tool has told some users searching for how to make cheese stick to pizza better that they could use "non-toxic glue". It also said geologists recommend humans eat one rock per day. Another response told users only 17 of the 42 US presidents were white. AI Overview also falsely claimed former US President Barack Obama is Muslim.

According to the BBC, Google's experimental "AI Overviews" rolled out across the United States last week and became available to some users in the UK last month. It is designed to make searching for information simpler, however, since the rollout, examples of erratic behaviour by the feature have flooded social media. A Google spokesperson, however, told the BBC they were "isolated examples". "The examples we've seen are generally very uncommon queries, and aren’t representative of most people’s experiences," it said in a statement. It said it had taken action where policy violations were identified and was using them to refine its systems.

The tech giant has encountered similar issues with its AI-powered products previously as well. It had to halt its chatbot Gemini in February after it received backlash for its "woke" remarks.