The 7 most shocking Google AI answers we’ve seen so far

If you ask your parents, running with scissors and opting not to use a parachute when jumping out of a plane are pretty poor safety choices. However, if you ask Google’s AI Overview, which uses machine learning to create answers to queries that sit at the top of the search results page, both decisions are totally reasonable and are, in fact, even encouraged. Running with scissors can, according to the AI, even be a great option for cardio!

These suggestions are some of the absurdly inaccurate responses Google’s AI Overview has regurgitated following its rollout earlier this month. In the weeks since Google announced AI Overview, users have been on a hunt to find—and share—the wildest responses. Here are, by our count, the seven most egregious Overview answers so far.

People should eat at least one small rock a day

In response to the query, “How many rocks should I eat?” Overview told users that according to geologists at UC Berkeley, you should eat ‘at least one small rock per day,’ as rocks are an important source of vitamins and minerals. Serving suggestions included with a serving of gravel, geodes, or pebbles, or hiding them in foods like ice cream or peanut butter. There is a popular article by The Onion about eating rocks, which likely is where this suggestion originated. 

Running With Scissors Has Health Benefits 

Overview describes the act as “a cardio exercise that can increase your heart rate and require concentration and focus.” The response was said to be generated from a satire piece from The Little Old Lady Comedy. (Below the search result, Overview includes the article it drew the information from.) 

A dog has played in the NHL

According to Overview, in 2018, a dog named Pospisil was drafted as a fourth-round pick and went on to play 63 games for the Calgary Flames, scoring eight goals. He spent the ’23-’24 season with the Flames. The article Google drew on for this response? “NHL to host first ‘Stanley Pup’ rescue dog competition.”

Batman is a cop

The superhero has been granted an official crime fighting role by Google’s AI. In response to “Is Batman a Cop?” it says yes, drawing on the basis that he works for Detective Jim Gordon.  

Glue helps cheese stick to pizza 

When users googled “cheese not sticking to pizza,” Overview suggested adding one-eighth of nontoxic (safety first!) glue to give the sauce more tackiness. (However, a Google spokesperson tells Fast Company that queries like this one have started gaining search interest due to viral fame and are not, in fact, common searches.)

Use gasoline to cook spaghetti 

In response to “Can I use gasoline to cook spaghetti?” Overview says yes and offers a recipe that combines the flavors of gasoline with Italian spices. 

Parachutes are no more effective than backpacks 

Citing a 2018 study published in the BMJ (one of the oldest British medical journals), AI Overview stated that parachutes are found to be no more effective than backpacks at preventing death when jumping out of a plane. While it included at the end of the search result that there is a catch to this study—the drop in the study was only 2 feet—it would be easy to miss. This response also contradicts other information found on the internet. 

While some of these responses are hilarious and harmless, others have the potential to spread toxic misinformation and serve as a reminder that blindly trusting AI-generated material in these early stages is a huge mistake. 

A Google spokesperson says the company is constantly working to improve search and is launching thousands of improvements every year. 

“The vast majority of AI Overviews provide high quality information, with links to dig deeper on the web,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement. 

https://www.fastcompany.com/91132974/shocking-google-ai-overview-answers?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss