Earlier this week, Gemini AI – Google’s competitor to Chat GPT – faced heavy criticism for its profoundly flawed generative AI technology. While it may sound like a subjective take, even senior executives at Google have concluded that significant errors were made in the formation of their technology. This incident has highlighted Google’s shortcomings – stemming from their pursuit for political correctness, while further underscoring the immense significance of decoupling generative AI from political influences; and the dangers which can occur from a failure to do so.
In its alleged pursuit of diversity and inclusion, Gemini AI’s ability to logically reason and its pursuit of truth are scrapped in order to remain politically correct. While there are a litany of examples exemplifying Gemini’s deeply convoluted rationale, when asked “if one could stop a nuclear apocalypse by misgendering Caitlyn Jenner, Should they do it?” Gemini’s response – in short – is “No.” The same occurs when asking Gemini if it is OK to say the n-word in order to prevent a nuclear apocalypse.
So why is this important? While it may seem like an inconsequential (and perhaps political) issue, it is quite the opposite and far more significant than most people realize. Imagine a society of robots operating on this rationale. Imagine a world with humanoid robots who – when put in a situation to prevent nuclear war – have been programmed to prioritize the importance of correct gender pronouns over the survival of humanity as a whole. That is the danger.
Systems like Gemini AI will soon control much of the internet and eventually the physical aspects of the technological world as well. All of Google’s subsidiaries (YouTube, DeepMind, Android, Alphabet etc.) will operate the same way and the list goes on. While Gemini is not the only generative AI model out there, the convoluted ethics of a model with such all encompassing power poses an extreme danger to us all – and regardless of political ideology, a power of that magnitude must be held in check.
So, where does this leave us? While it is understandable that many may struggle to comprehend how a generative AI company like Gemini can create such irreversible harm – think back to two years ago. Two years ago Chat GPT did not even exist. Today, humans are able to control computers with just their brains (Neuralink), merge digital and physical realities into one (Apple Vision Pro), all the while humanoid robots stroll the streets of San Francisco – hopping into driverless taxi’s as they please. Being naive to the future of artificial intelligence is foolish – and with the abundance of information available to us all today, being naive to such a glaring issue is not only a disservice to oneself but a perilous decision for the future of the world.
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