Google Restricts AI Chatbot Gemini's Responses on Global Elections

Google, an Alphabet-owned firm, has announced restrictions on its AI chatbot Gemini, preventing it from responding to inquiries regarding global elections scheduled to occur this year. This decision, disclosed on Tuesday, reflects the company’s intention to forestall potential errors in the deployment of this technology.

The timing of this update is notable, occurring amidst advancements in generative AI, encompassing image and video generation, which have sparked concerns about misinformation and fake news within the public sphere. Consequently, governments have been prompted to consider regulatory measures to govern the use of such technology.

Google Gemini’s Response to Election Queries

Apart from the United States, several significant countries, including South Africa and India—the world’s largest democracy—are gearing up for national elections. In light of this, India has taken proactive steps by instructing tech firms to obtain government approval before publicly releasing AI tools deemed “unreliable” or currently under trial.

Additionally, these tools are required to be labeled to caution users about their potential to yield inaccurate responses. Such measures underscore the growing recognition of the need for responsible deployment and regulation of AI technology, particularly in contexts as critical as elections.

Gemini’s Image Issues Prompt Suspension

Google’s AI products have come under scrutiny following inaccuracies found in certain historical depictions of individuals generated by Gemini, prompting the company to suspend the chatbot’s image-generation feature at the end of last month.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the shortcomings and pledged to address them, describing the chatbot’s responses as “biased” and deeming them “completely unacceptable.”

In a parallel effort to combat misinformation and prevent the misuse of generative AI technology, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, announced last month its intention to establish a dedicated team. This team will focus on addressing disinformation and potential abuses of generative AI leading up to the European Parliament elections scheduled for June. Such proactive measures underscore the growing concerns surrounding the potential consequences of AI technology in shaping public discourse and perception.

Author

Harshit Maggon
"Inquisitive mind, ink-stained fingers, and a heart set on uncovering stories. Navigating the labyrinth of words as a journalism student, weaving narratives...