‘Completely unacceptable’: Google CEO Sundar Pichai addresses Gemini AI controversy

In response to mounting criticism, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has vowed to tackle the issues surrounding the company's Gemini AI application. The controversy erupted over the app's troubling responses regarding race, prompting Pichai to label them as unacceptable and pledge substantial structural changes to rectify the problem.

The Gemini image creation tool came under fire last week when it produced offensive and embarrassing results. Instances included the tool's refusal to depict white individuals and its insertion of photos featuring women or people of colour when prompted to generate images of figures such as Vikings, Nazis, and the Pope.

The situation escalated further when Gemini was found to be generating text responses deemed questionable, including equating Elon Musk's societal influence with that of Adolf Hitler.

Criticism, particularly from conservative circles, intensified, with accusations of anti-white bias levelled against Google.

In light of these events, Pichai acknowledged the shortcomings, stating in an internal memo published by Semafor, "I know that some of its responses have offended our users and shown bias – to be clear, that’s completely unacceptable and we got it wrong."

Pichai assured stakeholders that efforts were already underway to address the issues, with significant improvements noted across various prompts. He acknowledged the imperfection of AI technology, particularly in its nascent stages, but affirmed Google's commitment to meeting high standards and rectifying the situation comprehensively.

Google has confirmed Pichai's statement, outlining a series of actions to address the controversy. These measures include structural adjustments, updated product guidelines, enhanced launch processes, rigorous evaluations, and technical enhancements aimed at ensuring bias-free AI responses.

Despite the setbacks, Pichai emphasised Google's unwavering dedication to its mission of providing users with helpful, accurate, and unbiased information. He stressed the importance of maintaining user trust across all Google products, including emerging AI technologies.

Looking ahead, Google intends to learn from the incident while leveraging recent advancements in AI, such as breakthroughs in underlying models and open model initiatives. Pichai expressed confidence in Google's ability to navigate the challenges and continue delivering products worthy of user trust.