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Artificial intelligence
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Google stops Gemini AI chatbot from generating images of people after inaccuracies in race depiction

  • The suspension comes after users said Gemini generated images of historically white-dominated scenes with racially diverse characters
  • Previous studies have shown that AI image-generators, without filters, are more likely to show lighter-skinned men when asked to generate a person

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Google has temporarily stopped its AI chatbot from generating pictures of people after criticisms that some of those images are historically inaccurate. Photo: Reuters
Associated Press
Google said Thursday it is temporarily stopping its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot from generating images of people a day after apologising for “inaccuracies” in historical depictions that it was creating.

Gemini users this week posted screenshots on social media of historically white-dominated scenes with racially diverse characters that they say it generated, leading critics to raise questions about whether the company is overcorrecting for the risk of racial bias in its AI model.

“We’re already working to address recent issues with Gemini’s image generation feature,” Google said in a post on the social media platform X. “While we do this, we’re going to pause the image generation of people and will re-release an improved version soon.”

Previous studies have shown AI image-generators can amplify racial and gender stereotypes found in their training data, and without filters are more likely to show lighter-skinned men when asked to generate a person in various contexts.

Google said on Wednesday that it is “aware that Gemini is offering inaccuracies in some historical image generation depictions” and that it is “working to improve these kinds of depictions immediately”.

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