Google, the world’s largest search engine, is transitioning from being a traditional search engine to an AI-powered “summary tool” that browses the web for users and provides AI-generated summaries. While this may seem like a convenient advancement, it poses significant risks to the future of the internet and the way people consume information.
The Gemini Program and Its Flaws
Google’s AI program, called Gemini, is a large language model (LLM) that is now being incorporated into everyday Google searches. However, the initial showcase of Gemini’s capabilities in December 2023 was reportedly fabricated, using still frames and guided text prompts instead of live video and voice components.
Despite this, Google is pushing forward with incorporating AI summaries into search results, which marks a clear transition from curating information to interpreting it. This shift could subject users to the hallucinations of an AI program as it seeks to do their thinking for them, benefiting no one except Google.
Concerning Examples of AI-Generated Summaries
There have been numerous instances of Google’s AI providing blatantly false or even dangerous information in its summaries. Some examples include:
- Suggesting users add Elmer’s Glue to their pizza sauce for extra tackiness, based on an 11-year-old Reddit post by a user named “fucksmith.”
- Implying that gasoline can be used to make a spicy spaghetti dish when asked if it can be used to cook spaghetti.
- Providing gibberish about U.S. presidents’ educational backgrounds, with conflicting graduation years and other inaccuracies.
- Misidentifying a deadly “Destroying Angel” mushroom as a harmless white button mushroom, which could potentially lead to fatal consequences if trusted by users.
The Impact on the Internet and User Behavior
Google’s AI-powered summaries not only pose a threat to smaller websites by reducing their traffic and visibility but also shift the way people consume and process information online. Instead of thinking for themselves based on primary or secondary sources, users may begin to rely on AI interpretations of information, leading to a generation that thinks what they’re told rather than forming their own opinions.
The Potential Motivations Behind Google’s AI Push
It is possible that Google’s push for AI summaries is driven by the potential for increased advertising revenue. By reducing everything to AI summaries, Google could potentially sell slots in the first few lines of popular searches to companies willing to pay for the AI to recommend their products as the “best” or “top-reviewed” options.
Conclusion
Google’s transition to AI-powered search summaries is a concerning development that could have far-reaching consequences for the internet and the way people consume information. While Google may still have the opportunity to course-correct, their apparent lack of interest in doing so is worrisome. As users, it is crucial to be aware of these changes and to continue seeking out primary sources and forming our own opinions, rather than relying on potentially flawed AI interpretations.
