Google makes fixes to AI-generated search summaries after outlandish answers went viral

Liz Reid, Google head of Search, speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., May 14, 2024. Google said on Friday, May 31, 2024, it has made "more than a dozen technical improvements" to its artificial intelligence systems after its retooled search engine was found spitting out erroneous information. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Google said Friday it has made “more than a dozen technical improvements” to its artificial intelligence systems after its retooled search engine was found spitting out erroneous information.

The tech company unleashed a makeover of its search engine in mid-May that frequently provides AI-generated summaries on top of search results. Soon after, social media users began sharing screenshots of its most outlandish answers.

Google has largely defended its AI overviews feature, saying it is typically accurate and was tested extensively beforehand. But Liz Reid, the head of Google’s search business, acknowledged in a blog post Friday that “some odd, inaccurate or unhelpful AI Overviews certainly did show up.”