Google scales back AI Search feature after multiple inaccurate results

Last month, Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, introduced a new feature for the company's search engine: A.I. Overviews. This feature was designed to generate comprehensive summaries of information directly above traditional search results. During the Google I/O 2024 demonstration, some queries were thrown at the Google Search engine which generated AI-summaries. However, according to The New York Times report, the same queries fail to generate any AI summaries now. 

Of the six initial public queries, only 'what are interesting science projects I can do with my son who is 12 years old?' consistently triggered an accurate AI Overview.

Traditional search results from specific websites replaced some of the queries. This change seemed to stem from a broader rollback due to numerous inaccuracies and errors generated by the A.I., such as recommending glue for pizza recipes and suggesting ingesting rocks for nutrients. The feature is not broadly available in India so far but users can still access it via Google's Labs. 

Even using Labs, the feature seems to be scaled back. It generates uncomplicated factual overviews for queries like 'What is the size of the earth?' but does not seem to generate a result for a question like 'What is the size of India?'. It rather provides an excerpt from a known source.  

Users widely mocked these mistakes on social media. Liz Reid, Google's new head of search, explained in a blog post that the company had refined the triggering of A.I. Overviews to avoid misleading advice, particularly in health-related queries, and to exclude satire and user responses from forums like Reddit. She emphasized ongoing improvements and updates to strengthen the feature's accuracy and safety.

According to the report, a Google spokesperson confirmed that the company is updating the feature but is not abandoning it. 

Google recently introduced Gemini, a suite of new A.I. models for developers, and integrated A.I. technology into services like YouTube, Gmail, and Docs to simplify content creation.

During Google's developer conference, Liz Reid showcased the potential of A.I. Overviews for handling complex queries, though many of these capabilities are still in development. The feature's rollout has faced scrutiny due to instances of dangerous or incorrect advice.