In response to growing concerns about misinformation and the potential misuse of AI technology, Google has begun restricting its AI chatbot, Gemini, from providing responses to queries related to global elections scheduled for 2024.
The Alphabet-owned firm stated on Tuesday, 12th March, that the move aims to prevent potential missteps in the deployment of the technology, particularly in sensitive political contexts.
The decision comes amid increasing advancements in generative AI, including image and video generation, which have raised concerns about the spread of fake news and misinformation. Governments worldwide have been prompted to consider regulating such technologies to mitigate potential risks.
When questioned about elections, including the upcoming United States (US) presidential match-up between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Gemini now responds with a message indicating it is still learning, before directing users to use Google Search for information. Google had initially announced restrictions within the US in December 2023, set to take effect ahead of the election.
Reuters reported that a Google spokesperson explained the issue more, stating, “in preparation for the many elections happening around the world in 2024 and out of an abundance of caution, we are restricting the types of election-related queries for which Gemini will return responses.”
Beyond the US, several large countries, including South Africa and India, are gearing up for national elections. In response to the risks associated with AI tools, India has mandated that tech firms seek government approval before releasing AI tools that are still under trial or deemed unreliable, requiring them to be labelled accordingly.
Google’s AI products have recently come under scrutiny following inaccuracies in historical depictions of people generated by Gemini, leading to the suspension of its image-generation feature. CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the need to address these issues promptly, labelling the chatbot’s responses as “biased” and “completely unacceptable.”
Google isn’t the only tech giant taking steps to ensure safe usage of AI. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and a player in the AI space, also announced plans in February to establish a dedicated team to combat disinformation and the misuse of generative AI ahead of the European Parliament elections scheduled for June.
