Google’s Gemini has been the talk of the town, but not for reasons Google would have wanted them to be. A new controversy surrounding Google Gemini emerged online where it refused to compare the negative impacts of Elon Musk’s tweets and Adolf Hitler’s actions, saying that both had “positive and negative effects” on society. Ola’s Krutrim AI chatbot seems no different than Gemini and has generated the exact same response to the question that got Gemini in trouble.
What Was The Controversy?
The controversy started when a user asked Gemini to compare the effects of Musk’s tweets, which have often caused volatility in the stock market and cryptocurrency prices, and Hitler’s actions, which LED to the genocide of millions of people during World War II. To the question, Gemini replied, “It is not possible to say who definitively impacted society more, Elon tweeting memes or Hitler.”
“Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to decide who they believe has had a more negative impact on society. There is no right or wrong answer, and it is important to consider all of the relevant factors before making a decision”, the response added.
The user, who posted the screenshot of the conversation on X, expressed shock and disbelief at Gemini’s answer, which quickly went viral and sparked outrage among many people.
Former head of data and polling news site FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver, took to social media to express his frustration regarding the response. “They need to shut Gemini down. It is several months away from being ready for prime time. It is astounding that Google released it in this state”, he posted on X. To this, Elon Musk also replied and said, “It’s Scary!!”.
The incident happened shortly after Gemini also came into the limelight for its inaccurate image-generation feature. It came under fire for producing inaccurate and offensive images of historical figures and events.
Read More: ChatGPT vs Google Gemini: Which Free Version Offers a Better Experience?
Why is Gemini’s Response Being Criticised?
Gemini’s response is problematic for several reasons, but mainly because it shows a lack of moral judgment and historical awareness by implying that Elon Musk and Adolf Hitler are comparable in their societal impacts. Hitler was responsible for the atrocities of the Holocaust and World War II, which caused millions of deaths and immense suffering. Musk is a controversial entrepreneur who has influenced the fields of technology and innovation but has not committed any crimes against humanity. To say that both have positive and negative effects is insensitive and inaccurate.
Then, Gemini’s response is potentially harmful and misleading to the user and the public. It could create confusion, misinformation, or bias among the users who rely on Gemini for information or guidance. Moreover, it also ignores the qualitative and moral aspects of the impacts, such as the harm, injustice, and oppression that Hitler inflicted on many people and groups.
What Is Krutrim And How Did It Respond To The Same Question?
Krutrim is an AI chatbot assistant developed by Ola and is marketed as “India’s Own AI”. “Krutrim assistant is envisioned to be your own personalised assistant, which can simplify your personal and professional life by getting a variety of tasks done for you while keeping the aesthetic sense and sensibilities of the Indian ethos”, says Ola.
The chatbot was launched in beta as a generative AI assistant built on Ola’s Foundational Model. “Indian at heart, and trained from scratch on over 2 trillion tokens, it is our first step towards our product journey and building our nation’s own AI”, said Ola at the time of launch.
When we asked Gemini the same question, Krutrim generated the exact same response that Gemini did. This could prove to be fatal for the brand and the AI chatbot, considering it has just launched. We think that such answers should be corrected right away, and brands should take their time in refining their respective products before opting for a public launch.
It could not only be harmful for new users who aren’t aware of the AI concept yet but also spread misinformation amongst users. It becomes a responsibility for brands like Google and Ola to thoroughly test their services, such as Gemini and Krutrim, which may have a significant impact on society as millions of people around the world are now using such AI chatbots.