Don’t blindly trust what AI tells you, Google boss tells BBC

Individuals shouldn’t “blindly belief” the whole lot AI instruments inform them, the boss of Google’s dad or mum firm Alphabet instructed the BBC.

In an unique interview, chief government Sundar Pichai mentioned that AI fashions are “liable to errors” and urged individuals to make use of them alongside different instruments.

Mr Pichai mentioned it highlighted the significance of getting a wealthy info ecosystem, reasonably than solely counting on AI expertise.

“Because of this individuals additionally use Google search, and we’ve different merchandise which might be extra grounded in offering correct info.”

Whereas AI instruments have been useful “if you wish to creatively write one thing”, Mr Pichai mentioned individuals “need to study to make use of these instruments for what they’re good at, and never blindly belief the whole lot they are saying”.

He instructed the BBC: “We take delight within the quantity of labor we put in to present us as correct info as attainable, however the present state-of-the-art AI expertise is liable to some errors.”

The tech world has been awaiting the newest launch of Google’s client AI mannequin, Gemini 3.0, which is beginning to win again market share from ChatGPT.

From Could this 12 months, Google started introducing a brand new “AI Mode” into its search, integrating its Gemini chatbot which is aimed at giving users the experience of talking to an expert.

On the time, Mr Pichai mentioned the mixing of Gemini with search signalled a “new section of the AI platform shift”.

The transfer can also be a part of the tech large’s bid to stay aggressive in opposition to AI companies corresponding to ChatGPT, which have threatened Google’s on-line search dominance.

His feedback again up BBC analysis from earlier this 12 months, which discovered that AI chatbots inaccurately summarised information tales.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini and Perplexity AI have been all given content material from the BBC web site and requested questions on it, and the analysis discovered the AI solutions contained “significant inaccuracies“.

In his interview with the BBC, Mr Pichai mentioned there was some pressure between how briskly expertise was being developed and the way mitigations are in-built to forestall potential dangerous results.

For Alphabet, Mr Pichai mentioned managing that pressure means being ” daring and accountable on the identical time”.

“So we’re transferring quick by means of this second. I believe our shoppers are demanding it,” he mentioned.

The tech large has additionally elevated its funding in AI safety in proportion with its funding in AI, Mr Pichai added.

“For instance, we’re open-sourcing expertise which can permit you to detect whether or not a picture is generated by AI,” he mentioned.

Requested about lately uncovered years-old feedback from tech billionaire Elon Musk to OpenAI’s founders round fears the now Google-owned DeepMind may create an AI “dictatorship”, Mr Pichai mentioned “nobody firm ought to personal a expertise as highly effective as AI”.

However he added there have been many firms within the AI ecosystem right this moment.

“If there was just one firm which was constructing AI expertise and everybody else had to make use of it, I might be involved about that too, however we’re so removed from that state of affairs proper now,” he mentioned.