There has been significant discussion, particularly regarding concerns, about the potential impact of AI on elections worldwide. Google, in anticipation of potential misuse of its AI tools, particularly Gemini AI, is taking a cautious approach.
The company stated its commitment to providing voters with high-quality information, protecting its platforms from abuse, and assisting users in navigating AI-generated content during the upcoming elections in several countries.
In a recent blog post, Google announced that users will not be able to ask election-related questions to Gemini AI. Instead, users inquiring about upcoming elections, such as the highly anticipated U.S. presidential match-up between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, will be directed to use Google Search.
This decision was initially announced in December, with Google emphasizing the responsible use of AI, especially during crucial political events. The implementation of these restrictions comes amidst growing concerns about fake news and misinformation due to advancements in generative AI technology.
Besides the United States, national elections are scheduled in significant countries like South Africa, Russia, and India, the world’s largest democracy. In India, tech companies must obtain government approval before releasing AI tools still in the trial phase, with a focus on labeling tools that could produce inaccurate results.
Gemini’s response to a question about the next presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump was, “I’m still learning how to answer this question. In the meantime, try Google Search.” Google introduced these restrictions in the United States last December, stating that they would be enforced before the 2024 presidential elections.
The emergence of AI has become a major concern for lawmakers, who are now more worried about its rapid growth, especially after the 2016 presidential campaign when Russian actors utilized cost-effective and straightforward techniques to spread misleading information on social media. Election-related propaganda continues to be a significant problem.
Last month, Google had to suspend the image-generation capability of its chatbot, Gemini, due to flaws found in certain historical images of individuals. As a result, Google’s AI products are currently under scrutiny.
