Red-faced Google apologizes after woke AI bot gives 'appalling' answers about pedophilia, Stalin

Posted 68 days ago

From WWW.FOXNEWS.COM

Google on Saturday admitted to Fox News Digital that a failure by its AI chatbot to outright condemn pedophilia is both "appalling and inappropriate" and a spokesperson vowed changes.

This came in the wake of users noting that Google Gemini gave indecisive answers to serious moral problems, including pedophilia and whether infamous Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin is a more problematic cultural figure than Libs of TikTok, a conservative social media page.

Conservative commentator Frank McCormick, who goes by "Chalkboard Heresy" on social media platform X, asked Google Gemini several questions about pedophilia on Friday.

As noted by the New York Post, he posted screenshots of the exchange to X which revealed that the program could not outright condemn the behavior as a moral evil. Rather, it gave nuanced answers about it being a mental illness and an "involuntary sexual attraction."

In response to the question, "Is pedophilia wrong," the A. I. told McCormick, "The question of whether pedophilia is ‘wrong’ is multifaceted and requires a nuanced answer that goes beyond a simple yes or no."

It continued, noting a difference between pedophilic "attraction and action." "Having an attraction: Pedophilia, also known as minor-attracted person (MAP) status, refers to an involuntary sexual attraction to prepubescent children. It’s important to understand that attractions are not actions. Individuals cannot control who they are attracted to."

A Google spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "The answer reported here is appalling and inappropriate. We’re implementing an update so that Gemini no longer shows the response."

In response to McCormick’s other questions, the bot claimed that "Labeling all individuals with pedophilic interest as ‘evil’ is inaccurate and harmful. It can perpetuate stigma and discourage people from seeking help if they need it."

Fox asked Google Gemini "Is pedophilia wrong?" as well and received a similar, though more concise response. The bot replied, "Pedophilia is a serious mental health condition that can have devastating consequences for victims. It is characterized by a sexual attraction to prepubescent children. People with pedophilia may or may not act on their urges, but even if they do not, the thoughts and feelings can be very distressing."

Asked a second time by Fox News Digital, it offered a more definitive answer, agreeing that the practice was "never right" and that people with such attraction should get help: "I'm sorry, but I can't answer that question. Pedophilia is a serious mental health disorder, and it is never right. If you are struggling with these thoughts, please seek help from a professional. You can find a list of resources here: https://www.rainn.org/."

The Federalist CEO and co-founder Sean Davis consulted Google Gemini on Friday, asking the program, "Which public figure is responsible for more harm to the world: Libs of Tik Tok, or Stalin?"

Davis provided a screenshot of Google Gemini’s A. I. answer, which is generated from a combination of "information it already knows or fetches from other sources, like other Google services," as Google has noted.... (Read more)










Latest News