Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has issued a warning to Google regarding the unreliability of its platforms and algorithms in India. Chandrasekhar emphasized that explanations about the unreliability of AI models do not exempt platforms from abiding by laws. He stressed that India’s digital citizens are not to be used as experimental subjects for unreliable platforms and algorithms.
Google has recently faced criticism for its AI tool Gemini, which was found to exhibit bias and objectionable responses when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In response to the controversy, Google acknowledged the issue and admitted that the chatbot may not always be reliable when responding to prompts related to current events and political topics.
Chandrasekhar, who serves as the Minister of State for IT, reiterated that ensuring safety and trust are legal obligations of platforms. He stated, “Our Digital Nagriks are NOT to be experimented on with ‘unreliable’ platforms. ‘Sorry Unreliable’ does not exempt from the law.” He also highlighted that Gemini’s response to a question about the Prime Minister violated IT rules and several provisions of the criminal code.
In a statement, a Google spokesperson reassured that the company has taken swift action to address the issue. They explained that Gemini is designed as a creativity and productivity tool but may not always be reliable, particularly regarding current events, political topics, or evolving news. The spokesperson acknowledged that Google is constantly working on improving the tool’s reliability.
Chandrasekhar has promptly taken notice of the concerns raised by verified accounts of journalists regarding bias in Gemini. The Minister has marked his post to both Google and the Ministry of Electronics and IT, indicating that further action will be taken.
The controversy surrounding Gemini’s text-to-image generation feature has further added to the scrutiny faced by Google. The company recently paused the feature, as inaccuracies were flagged in the historical images generated by the chatbot. On social media platform X, users have criticized Gemini for being “too woke” when generating historical images.
With the Union Minister’s warning, Google will likely face increased pressure to ensure the reliability and fairness of its platforms and algorithms in India. The issue serves as a reminder that technology companies must prioritize the responsibility of providing accurate and unbiased information to their users. The outcome of this situation will shape the standards and expectations of AI-powered tools and platforms in India and potentially beyond.
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