Google’s Super Bowl ad campaign for its Gemini AI model continues to generate controversy. Initially, the issue centered around potentially hallucinated information provided by Gemini in an ad highlighting small businesses. However, it now appears that the AI wasn’t even involved in creating the content in question.
Google’s Super Bowl campaign features 50 stories showcasing small businesses across the US leveraging Gemini. One ad focuses on the Wisconsin Cheese Mart, suggesting the company used Gemini for website copy. This copy included the inaccurate claim that gouda comprises “50 to 60 percent of the world’s cheese consumption.” Google faced criticism and subsequently modified the ad text.
It turns out, the inaccurate copy wasn’t generated by Gemini at all. Internet Archive records show the text existed on the Wisconsin Cheese Mart’s website as early as 2020, well before Gemini’s release.
This revelation presents a two-sided problem. While Gemini isn’t responsible for the factual error, it also didn’t contribute to any of the website copy, despite the ad’s implication.
Adding to the embarrassment, a Google executive publicly defended the original text. Jerry Dischler, President of Cloud Applications at Google Cloud, asserted on Twitter that it wasn’t a hallucination and emphasized Gemini’s web-based grounding. While this may be generally true, the evidence contradicts its application in this specific instance.
Google now faces an awkward situation. They defended their AI against accusations of misinformation, only to discover it wasn’t even involved. Furthermore, the company was prepared to invest millions advertising Gemini’s capabilities using examples unrelated to the tool. This scenario almost mirrors video game trailers showcasing polished footage with disclaimers like “not actual gameplay.” It raises the question: “Sure, this isn’t AI-generated, but imagine if it was!”
This incident highlights the importance of verifying information, especially when promoting advanced technologies like AI. It also underscores the potential pitfalls of relying on anecdotal evidence without proper fact-checking. Google’s Super Bowl campaign stumble serves as a reminder that transparency and accuracy are crucial, particularly when building trust in new and evolving technologies.
