Google pauses generative AI 'Gemini' over image inaccuracies
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The feature is producing historically incorrect images such as Black Vikings, racially diverse Nazi German soldiers, and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin shown as Asian men.
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A photo of Google's AI "Gemini" (Google)
Google's generative feature of the artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini was suspended two days ago after it was caught releasing inaccurate and false depictions of people from other historical eras, such as wrong or impossible races.
The company's communications took to X to announce the decision: "We're already working to address recent issues with Gemini's image generation feature. While we do this, we're going to pause the image generation of people and will re-release an improved version soon."
We're already working to address recent issues with Gemini's image generation feature. While we do this, we're going to pause the image generation of people and will re-release an improved version soon. https://t.co/SLxYPGoqOZ
— Google Communications (@Google_Comms) February 22, 2024
The feature, which works through text-to-image, was revealed on February 1, but users have reported that historically incorrect images are being produced by the system like Black Vikings, racially diverse Nazi German soldiers, and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin shown as Asian men.
Senior Product Director for Gemini at Google Jack Krawczyk claimed that the AI tool is intended to reflect "our global user base, and we take representation and bias seriously," but he called historical contexts rather nuanced and assured the company will fix the issue.
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Google has been adopting the "more AI, less people" strategy, as it announced two months ago that it was eliminating "a few hundred" positions from its global ad team and replacing them with artificial intelligence for "efficiency and creativity."
On May 2 last year, a computer scientist nicknamed "the godfather of artificial intelligence" left Google to speak out against the technology's hazards.
The New York Times quoted Geoffrey Hinton, who developed core technology for AI systems, as saying that advances in the subject presented "profound risks to society and humanity."
Hinton considers how AI has changed in the piece and says, "Look at how it was five years ago and how it is now," adding, "Take the difference and propagate it forwards. That's scary."
He further noted that rivalry among digital behemoths was causing corporations to reveal new AI technology at dangerously fast rates, putting employment at risk and spreading disinformation.
