Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity AI search results promote racist IQ data
AI-powered search engines from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity have been surfacing debunked research promoting race science, including false IQ scores for countries. The systems pulled data from a dataset by Richard Lynn, a known proponent of scientific racism. Google removed the offending Overviews after being contacted by WIRED, but the data still appears in featured snippets and other AI tools.
- Company involved
- Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity
- AI system involved
- AI Overviews, Copilot, Perplexity
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Google Health's diabetic retinopathy AI faced real-world issues in Thailand clinics
Google Health deployed a deep-learning system to screen for diabetic retinopathy in 11 clinics across Thailand. The AI was highly accurate in lab tests but rejected over a fifth of eye scans in real-world conditions due to poor lighting and slow internet. Patients whose scans were rejected had to visit specialists at other clinics, causing inconvenience and frustration for nurses. Google Health is now working with local staff to improve the system's workflow.
- Company involved
- Google Health
10 source articles · read the reporting →
The Google Maps Effect: How a Navigation App Error Caused Chaos on a Single-Track Road - autoevolution
The navigation app routed drivers onto a single-track road, causing traffic jams and safety hazards for local residents and drivers.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Google Maps
1 source article · read the reporting →
Google Will Not Renew Project Maven Military Drone AI Contract
Google announced it will not renew its contract for Project Maven, a Pentagon program using AI to analyse drone imagery. The decision followed internal protests, with nearly a dozen employees resigning and thousands signing a letter declaring Google should not be in the business of war. The company will continue work until March 2019 but has not ruled out future military AI contracts.
- Company involved
- U.S. Department of Defense
- AI system involved
- Project Maven
1 source article · read the reporting →
University of Chicago Medical Center sued over sharing patient data with Google
The University of Chicago Medical Center is accused in a class-action lawsuit of sharing hundreds of thousands of patient medical records with Google without proper de-identification or patient consent. The data, from patients treated between 2009 and 2016, allegedly included dates and provider notes that could allow re-identification. The lawsuit claims Google sought the records to develop its own electronic health record system and predictive models. The hospital and Google deny wrongdoing, stating the research partnership was legal and compliant with HIPAA.
- Company involved
- University of Chicago Medical Center
1 source article · read the reporting →
Google, Amazon, Microsoft image AI shows gender bias, labelling women by appearance and men by profession
A study by US and European researchers found that Google, Amazon, and Microsoft's image recognition services applied three times as many appearance-related labels to photos of women as to men. The top labels for men were 'official' and 'businessperson', while for women they were 'smile' and 'chin'. Google acknowledged the issue and had previously switched off gender detection, but tests by WIRED suggested the bias persisted. The researchers warn that such biased AI could obscure women professionals and create a false image of reality.
- Company involved
- Google, Amazon, Microsoft
- AI system involved
- Google Cloud Vision, Amazon Rekognition, Microsoft image recognition service
1 source article · read the reporting →
Google, Microsoft, OpenAI chatbots gave false EU election information
A report by Democracy Reporting International found that chatbots from Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI provided incorrect election dates and voting information to users ahead of the European Parliament election. The experiment, conducted in March 2024, tested the chatbots in multiple languages and found that they often hallucinated facts. The European Commission subsequently ordered the companies to explain their measures under the Digital Services Act. Google and Microsoft said they are restricting election-related queries.
- Company involved
- Google, Microsoft, OpenAI
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot
6 source articles · read the reporting →
OpenAI and Google AI autocompletes AOC photo in bikini
Researchers demonstrated that image-generation algorithms from OpenAI and Google, when given a cropped photo of a woman, often autocomplete her wearing a bikini or low-cut top, while men are given suits. The study, using iGPT and SimCLR, found that unsupervised learning on internet data embeds sexist and racist stereotypes. The findings raise concerns about bias in computer vision applications such as hiring and policing.
- Company involved
- OpenAI, Google
- AI system involved
- iGPT, SimCLR
1 source article · read the reporting →
Gmail Smart Reply prototype suggested 'Sent from my iPhone'
During testing of Gmail's Smart Reply feature, Google engineers discovered the algorithm had identified the phrase 'Sent from my iPhone' as a popular response to emails. The issue was fixed before the phrase became a suggested reply to users. The article also notes the prototype had a propensity to suggest 'I love you' in many contexts, which was also corrected.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Gmail Smart Reply
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google AI Giving Staggeringly Racist "Advice" About Being Alone With Certain Groups of People - Futurism
The system advised users about personal safety when alone with people of certain nationalities, prompting them to call emergency services for some groups.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- AI Overviews
1 source article · read the reporting →
Google Slapped With Digital Privacy Class Action Over Use of Customer Service AI Product - Law.com
The system intercepted and analyzed customer service calls of Home Depot customers without their consent.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Cloud Contact Center AI
1 source article · read the reporting →
Academic blames Google Bard for false allegations against Big Four
Emeritus professor James Guthrie of Macquarie University used Google's Bard AI to generate false allegations against Big Four accounting firms in submissions to an Australian parliamentary inquiry into consultants' ethics. Guthrie later apologized and claimed sole responsibility for the errors. The Big Four firms have denied the allegations.
- Company involved
- Macquarie University
- AI system involved
- Bard
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Consumer groups ask FTC to investigate YouTube Kids app for deceptive ads
Several consumer groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that Google's YouTube Kids app mixes advertising with programming in ways that are deceptive to children. The complaint argues that the app uses host selling and undisclosed endorsements, which would be illegal on television. YouTube responded that it worked with child advocacy groups and disagreed with the contentions. The FTC has not yet acted on the complaint.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- YouTube Kids
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google Cloud Used in CBP AI Virtual Border Wall Contract
The Intercept reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection accepted a proposal to use Google Cloud artificial intelligence for its Innovation Team, including work with Anduril Industries' surveillance towers. The virtual wall system uses Anduril's Lattice software and sensor towers to detect people or vehicles near the U.S.-Mexico border and relay their locations to agents. Google declined to comment, and CBP and Anduril did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- AI system involved
- Google Cloud AI Platform with Anduril Lattice and Sentry Towers
1 source article · read the reporting →
Jury finds Meta and Google liable in Kaley's social media addiction lawsuit
A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for intentionally building addictive platforms that harmed Kaley's mental health from childhood. The 20-year-old was awarded $6m in damages, with the companies saying they will appeal. Kaley had used Instagram from age nine and YouTube from age six, and spent up to 16 hours a day on Instagram.
- Company involved
- Meta and Google
- AI system involved
- Instagram and YouTube
5 source articles · read the reporting →
CBSE OnMark portal vulnerability exposed student data to Google Gemini
A 19-year-old ethical hacker, Nisarga Adhikary, claimed to have hacked the CBSE's digital evaluation ecosystem, revealing that personal information of students was processed by Google's Gemini in automation scripts. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) stated on May 31, 2026, that the identified vulnerabilities had been contained and other exploitable weaknesses were being ruled out. The board expressed gratitude to alert citizens and ethical hackers who pointed out the weaknesses. No actual data breach was confirmed, but the incident raised concerns about student privacy.
- Company involved
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
- AI system involved
- OnMark
1 source article · read the reporting →
Gmail users warned of AI voice phishing scam impersonating Google support
Cybercriminals are using AI-generated voices to impersonate Google support in phone calls to Gmail users, attempting to trick them into revealing account credentials. The scam involves a caller ID that appears legitimate and a follow-up email from a spoofed Google address. Victims are told their account has been compromised and are asked to provide a recovery code. Google has advised users to enable Advanced Protection to secure their accounts.
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Google and X AI chatbots falsely claim Iran war photo is fake
In March 2026, a real photograph of graves for victims of an airstrike on a school in Minab, Iran, went viral. When users asked Google's Gemini and X's Grok AI assistants to verify the image, both chatbots incorrectly claimed it was from other events, such as the 2023 Turkey earthquake or COVID burials in Indonesia. The false responses, presented with confidence and fabricated sources, contributed to a wave of AI-generated misinformation surrounding the Iran war. Fact-checkers say such errors waste investigative time and risk causing real atrocities to be denied.
- Company involved
- Google and X
- AI system involved
- Gemini and Grok
1 source article · read the reporting →
Delphi denies near-miss between its self-driving car and Google's autonomous vehicle
Delphi Automotive initially reported a near-miss between its self-driving Audi Q5 SUV and a Google Lexus RX400h in Palo Alto, California. A Delphi executive claimed Google's car cut off the Delphi vehicle, which took evasive action. However, Delphi later denied the incident, stating the vehicles were a lane width apart and that both cars performed correctly. Google also confirmed the cars behaved appropriately in an ordinary driving scenario.
- Company involved
- Delphi Automotive
- AI system involved
- Delphi self-driving car (Audi Q5 SUV)
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Google and Delphi Self-Driving Cars Involved in Minor Accidents in California
Four self-driving cars in California have been involved in accidents since September 2014, when the state began issuing testing permits. Two occurred while the cars were in autonomous mode, and two while a human was driving. Google and Delphi, the companies operating the vehicles, stated that their cars were not at fault and that the collisions were minor, with no injuries. The accidents have raised concerns about transparency, as details are kept confidential under state law.
- Company involved
- Google Inc. and Delphi Automotive
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Apple and Google remove Navalny's Smart Voting app in Russia under Kremlin pressure
Apple and Google removed the Smart Voting app, created by imprisoned opposition leader Alexey Navalny, from their app stores in Russia on September 17, 2021, under pressure from Russian authorities. The app recommended candidates likely to defeat Kremlin-backed candidates in the parliamentary election. The removal followed threats of fines and criminal prosecution, and Russian police visited Google's offices to enforce a court order. Navalny's allies accused the companies of bending to Kremlin blackmail.
- Company involved
- Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption
- AI system involved
- Smart Voting app
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Hawley Slams Gmail’s Bias Against Republican Candidates, Demands Answers From Google - U.S. Senate Website (.gov)
Gmail's spam filter marked Republican fundraising emails as spam, preventing them from reaching intended recipients.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Gmail spam filtering algorithm
1 source article · read the reporting →
MAJOR LAWSUIT ALERT!: Home Depot And Google Facing CIPA Lawsuit For Use Of Google’s Cloud Contact Center AI - natlawreview.com
The system recorded and transcribed customer service calls without consent, affecting the privacy of callers.
- Company involved
- Home Depot
- AI system involved
- Google Cloud Contact Center AI
1 source article · read the reporting →
Canadian artist ends legal action against Google after its AI wrongly labeled him a sex offender - cybernews.com
The system generated a false summary labeling Ashley MacIsaac as a convicted sex offender.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- AI Overviews
1 source article · read the reporting →
