Also Read | Google admits Gemini AI is ‘missing the mark’, pauses image generation capabilities

What is Gemini AI?

Google recently rebranded its chatbot Bard as Gemini, while officially unrolling the artificial intelligence (AI) tool for users globally. According to the tech giant, users can now engage with the Gemini Pro 1.0 model in over 40 languages across more than 230 countries and territories.

Gemini Advanced is part of the Google One AI Premium Plan, priced at $19.99/month, starting with a complimentary two-month trial period. AI Premium subscribers can anticipate the integration of Gemini into various Google applications such as Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and more (formerly known as Duet AI), as mentioned in the latest Google blog post.

Also Read | Elon Musk on Gemini AI chatbot: Google’s insane, racist, anti-civilization programming clear to all

A Whirlwind of Controversies

Within a week of launch, there have already been controversies. Google apologised on February 23 for its faulty rollout of a new AI image-generator linked to Gemini AI, acknowledging that in some cases the tool would “overcompensate” for lack of diversity even when it didn’t make sense, as per an AP report.

Addressing concerns, Google said it has decided to temporarily halt the chatbot’s image generation. Prabhakar Raghavan, a senior vice president overseeing Google’s search engine and other businesses, in a blog post stated, “It’s clear that this feature missed the mark”, and apologised for inaccurate and offensive images, and expressed gratitude for user feedback.

Also Read | Gemini AI’s controversial stance on Elon Musk and Hitler comparison leaves netizens furious: Know what it said…

Although Raghavan did not cite specific examples, social media highlighted instances where the Gemini AI image generator depicted a Black woman as a United States founding father, besides showing Black and Asian individuals as Nazi-era German soldiers, AP reported.

Raghavan defended the chatbot’s intent, adding that the goal for the feature was to cater to diverse requests, but added that some prompts triggered “overcompensation”.

Also Read | US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy slams Google Gemini: Globally embarrassing rollout, blatantly racist

India May Issue Notice to Google over ‘Biased’ Gemini AI

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) is likely to issue a notice to Google over Gemini’s “biased” response to a question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports said on February 23.

Gemini came under fire for allegedly being “biased” against PM Modi after an X user took to the social media platform to complain about the too, The viral post claims to show the AI model’s “bias” to a query on PM Modi, former US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It was claimed that when asked a question about fascism, the Gemini AI tool displayed a proper reply about PM Modi. However, when the same question was asked about Donald Trump and Zelenskyy, the AI tool refused to give a clear answer.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar reacted to the complaint by the X user and said that the platform violates IT rules and other laws. “These are direct violations of Rule 3(1)(b) of Intermediary Rules (IT rules) of the IT act and violations of several provisions of the Criminal code,” Chandrasekhar said, tagging Google and the Meity, indicating further action in the matter.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Published: 26 Feb 2024, 12:44 PM IST