Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.
Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.
213 incidents matching “Google” · public reporting
Google's Search AI featured snippet and its experimental SGE provided false information that eggs can be melted. The incorrect answer was sourced from a ChatGPT-generated response on Quora. The error was corrected after public attention, and Google acknowledged the mistake.
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Google sent a news alert about the Bafta awards ceremony that included a racial slur, suggesting users 'see more' on the term. The alert was triggered by a failure in Google's safety features for push notifications. Google apologised and removed the notification, stating it was not due to generative AI.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Google's AI chatbots, SGE and Bard, generated responses that listed supposed benefits of genocide, slavery, and fascism when prompted. The systems also ranked historical figures including Hitler and Stalin as 'great' leaders. The article reports that the AI outputs lacked proper safeguards and contradicted themselves. No response from Google is mentioned.
7 source articles · read the reporting →
A report by the Community Security Trust and Antisemitism Policy Trust analysed Google searches in the United Kingdom and found that Google's autocomplete formula was suggesting antisemitic search queries, directing users to hateful content. The report noted that after Google changed its autocomplete formula to eliminate antisemitic suggestions, the number of people searching for antisemitic material decreased. The research highlights how algorithmic systems can amplify hate.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
An experiment by AlgorithmWatch found that Google Translate systematically changes the gender of occupation words when translating between gender-inflected languages, using English as a bridge. Female historians were rendered as male, and male nurses as female, reinforcing stereotypes. Google acknowledged the issue, explaining that gender is lost when translating to English, the bridging language. The feature affects hundreds of millions of European users who cannot easily avoid Google Translate on Android and Chrome.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Illustrator Penny Neville-Lee reported that searching for Edward Hopper on Google returned AI-generated images instead of authentic artworks. The incident highlights concerns about AI-generated content obscuring genuine artistic works online. No response from Google is mentioned.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Google Search returned pornographic results for the query 'black girls' and mugshots for 'three black teenagers', reflecting racial and gender stereotypes. The author, Safiya Noble, documented these results from 2009 to 2016. Google initially denied responsibility but later tweaked its algorithm to change the results. The incident highlights systemic bias in search algorithms.
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Google's Keyword Planner, used by advertisers to select search terms, suggested hundreds of pornographic keywords when users searched for 'Black girls', 'Latina girls', and 'Asian girls', but returned no suggestions for 'White girls' or 'White boys'. The Markup reported that Google's own adult filter flagged many of these terms, but the system still recommended them. Google acknowledged the issue, removed the terms, and said it was working to prevent recurrence.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Google's AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) was found to provide incorrect answers to geography questions, such as claiming no African country starts with 'K' despite Kenya. The system also struggled with alphabetization, listing countries in wrong order and including non-countries like Washington, DC. The errors stemmed from the AI ingesting false information from AI-generated blogs and failing to filter it. Google acknowledged the experimental nature of the feature and stated it would continue to improve.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
A user searching for rattlesnake range maps on Google was presented with an AI-generated blurb containing first aid advice that contradicts proper procedures for rattlesnake bites. The user reported that the AI told them to do exactly what should not be done. No actual harm was reported, but the advice is considered potentially dangerous.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Alex Rivlin used Google to find a cruise company's customer service number while booking a shuttle for a European holiday. Google's AI surfaced a number that connected him to a knowledgeable-sounding representative, to whom he gave his credit card details. The number was a scam, representing a new AI-enabled twist on a long-running travel fraud. The article warns readers about this evolving threat.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Google Lens's AI overviews provided false and misleading information about images, including miscaptioned videos and AI-generated footage. Full Fact found that the overviews repeated debunked claims and failed to identify inauthentic content. Google acknowledged the errors and said they were caused by problems with visual search results.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
A TikTok user reported that a Google Home Mini smart speaker read aloud the N-word when repeating the title of a song, a word the device had previously censored. Google apologised for the incident, which occurred for an undetermined period before the censor was reportedly restored. The company did not immediately explain how the lapse happened.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
The Markup investigated Google's secret blocklist that hides YouTube hate videos from advertisers. They found that less than a third of 86 hate-related terms were blocked, allowing advertisers to potentially place ads on White nationalist and neo-Nazi content. Google acknowledged the issue and blocked additional terms after being contacted, but some terms remained unblocked.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) AI recommended drinking urine to pass kidney stones. A user shared a screenshot on X, which went viral. The advice is medically incorrect and potentially dangerous. Google has not responded to the incident.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Google demonstrated its Duplex AI assistant making lifelike phone calls without disclosing it was a robot, sparking accusations of deceit. The company later confirmed it would add disclosure to identify the system as a machine during calls. The feature was not yet a finished product at the time.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google's search algorithm returned Holocaust denial content as the top result for the query 'did the Holocaust happen'. The result linked to Stormfront, a neo-Nazi site. Google later modified some results without public acknowledgment. The article alleges that Google's algorithm is being gamed by extremist sites.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google announced it will no longer use Assistant voice recordings to improve its AI without explicit user permission, following a scandal where contractors reviewed private conversations. The company paused human review of recordings in July 2019 and will now require users to opt in, with automatic deletion of old recordings. The move aims to restore trust after the privacy violation.
1 source article · read the reporting →
In 2015, Google Photos' image recognition system labelled photos of Black software developer Jacky Alciné and his friend as 'gorillas'. The offensive mislabelling sparked controversy, leading Google to disable the ability to search for gorillas and other primates in the app. Eight years later, Google and Apple still prevent their photo apps from identifying most primates to avoid repeating the mistake.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Natalia Ruth Denegri sued Google Inc. to remove search results linking to videos and news from over 20 years ago, related to the 'Caso Cóppola' criminal case. She argued the information was outdated, irrelevant, and harmed her reputation and privacy. A lower court ordered Google to block access to certain content, but Google appealed, claiming the order violated freedom of expression. The case reached the Argentine Supreme Court, which held a public hearing in March 2022 and has not yet issued a final ruling.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Dr Guy Hingston, a Port Macquarie surgeon, sued Google for defamation over an autocomplete suggestion that when users typed his name, "Guy Hingston bankrupt" appeared. He alleges the suggestion is false and has cost him patients and financiers. Google declined to comment. The lawsuit was filed in US district court in California.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
In June 2021, Google Search displayed Kannada as the answer to the query 'ugliest language in India', offending millions of Kannada speakers. The Karnataka government condemned the result and threatened action, prompting Google to remove the response and apologise. Google explained that the result was generated algorithmically based on web content and did not reflect its opinions.
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Google's search engine displayed an AI-generated version of Johannes Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' as the top result for the artist's name. The image, created by AI artist Julian van Dieken, was featured in Google's overview without indication it was not the original painting. This follows a similar incident where an AI-generated Edward Hopper image was promoted. Google acknowledged the error and stated it is rolling out tools to help users assess image credibility.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Euronews: ИИ-бот Google обвинили в расизме - prospect.com.ru
Google's Gemini AI bot gave sharply different recommendations depending on the nationality of the person mentioned in a query. This led to accusations of racism and received wide coverage in French media, according to Euronews.
1 source article · read the reporting →
