Google AI Goes Full Stupid, Fabricates Disgusting Lie About Mike Patton
Does anyone actually trust A.I. to get anything right ever? Shit’s going to kill millions of jobs and hurt the economy when its bubble finally bursts, but it can barely differentiate between different people with the same name. And as seen in this latest digital faux pas, it could have very serious ramifications if people aren’t careful.
Earlier today, a user on the Faith No More subreddit posted a screenshot of a Google search AI overview that apparently mixes up Mike Patton the vocalist and some creep with the same name that allegedly tried to transport a 13-year-old boy from Ohio to Kentucky for sex. According to the image, Google claimed that Patton was “involved in criminal charges in 2000…leading to a guilty plea for lesser charges and probation.” What makes this particularly worrying is in the next sentence, the AI overview casually mentions past conflicts like Faith No More firing a member before pointing out that “these are distinct from sexual misconduct allegations.”
Just for complete clarity here, MIKE PATTON THE FAITH NO MORE/MR. BUNGLE/FANTOMAS/TOMAHAWK/ETC. VOCALIST DIDN’T TRY TO FUCK A KID. This was simply a case of A.I. once again getting something so simple so completely wrong. As the Reddit post says, the A.I. was pulling information from a document that was completely unrelated to Patton the musician. The real problem is that generative A.I. pulls from scores of written sources to try to take a stab at something you’re searching on Google. With no human oversight to ensure accuracy, you get what happens here.
Thankfully, it seems like Google might have addressed the issue already, as a search for “Mike Patton allegations” as seen in the original screenshot now points out that the name Mike Patton is associated with the pedophilia charge, but that the famous musician Mike Patton isn’t the subject of “widespread, public allegations of abuse.” It even brings up the “confusion source,” which the A.I. now says “likely stems from the identical name being used in different contexts, leading to search results for the musician bringing up the criminal case of the other individual.”
So yeah. If you’re using Google or any other A.I. generated product, take that shit with a massive grain of salt because shit like this isn’t that uncommon. Fuck A.I.
