Scandal surrounding Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence application
On February 29, 2024, Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence application faced strong criticism from its users. Indeed, these users pointed out certain inaccurate creations, especially in terms of gender and origin, seeming to underrepresent white individuals.
Troubling images were generated by Gemini, such as Nazis with dark skin or even the Pope depicted as an Asian woman. These errors sparked a real outcry among the application’s users.
In response to this controversy, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, acknowledged Gemini’s shortcomings and described the situation as unacceptable. The application’s drifts raised questions about how artificial intelligences are programmed and about the possible biases introduced into their algorithms.
Michael Fertik, head of the investment fund Heroic Ventures, raised the issue of the responsibility of major technological corporations in shaping users’ thinking through their algorithms. According to him, these companies undeniably influence their users’ worldview.
Google promptly responded by stating that it was a bug and temporarily suspended Gemini’s image services. However, for some observers, this case highlights the risks associated with a unilateral vision imposed by Silicon Valley giants.
In response to this scandal, an American senator close to Donald Trump even called for the dismantling of Google, shedding light on the ethical and political issues related to the use of artificial intelligence in our society.