Google has implemented restrictions on its AI chatbot Gemini preventing it from answering questions regarding global elections slated to occur in 2024. The decision announced on Tuesday restricting Gemini’s responses to queries related to global elections slated for this year including the US presidential election and general elections in India.
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Google’s Gemini chatbot has the ability to answer text-based questions and generate images. The recent controversies have underlined concerns regarding its propagate misinformation and biased content.
Google has commenced implementing restrictions on Gemini’s responses to election-related queries, with the changes already rolled out in the United States and India, where electoral events are imminent. The company cites an abundance of caution in light of the high-stakes nature of such inquiries.
Queries pertaining to elections including the forthcoming US presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, now elicit a response from Gemini indicating its ongoing learning process and directing users to utilize Google Search for more information.
The decision comes at the time what is to be the most important global election year in history, with over two billion voters participating in elections across at least 64 countries.
Countries like South Africa and India are gearing up for national elections necessitating measures to combat misinformation and safeguard the integrity of the democratic process.
India has mandated that tech firms seek government approval before releasing AI tools deemed “unreliable” or still in the trial phase.
Governments worldwide are facing problems with the need for stringent regulations to address the dissemination of fake news and misinformation by AI advancements.
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Google’s AI products, including Gemini, have faced problems following inaccuracies observed in historical depictions generated by the chatbot’s image-generation feature.
CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged these issues, addressing the company’s commitment to rectifying biases and ensuring the accuracy of AI-generated content.
Meta Platforms has also announced measures to combat disinformation and misuse of generative AI, particularly in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections scheduled for June.
When prompted with questions regarding elections including the upcoming US presidential race featuring Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Gemini responded with a message indicating its ongoing learning process and suggested using Google Search as an alternative resource.
Google had previously announced restrictions within the US in December with plans to enforce them prior to the election.
Several other countries, including South Africa and India, are gearing up for national elections. India, in particular has mandated that tech firms obtain government approval before releasing AI tools deemed “unreliable” or still in the trial phase.
Meta Platforms announced plans to establish a team to combat disinformation and misuse of generative AI leading up to the European Parliament elections scheduled for June.
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