Caution Urged in Using AI: Insights from Google's Sundar Pichai
In a recent interview with the BBC, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Google's parent company, emphasized the importance of not "blindly trusting" AI tools. He highlighted the fact that current AI models are "prone to errors" and should be leveraged alongside other informational resources. Mr. Pichai stressed the necessity of a diverse information ecosystem, instead of relying solely on AI technology. "This is why people also use Google search, and we have other products that are more grounded in providing accurate information," he noted.
Mr. Pichai acknowledged the utility of AI tools for creative endeavors but cautioned that "people have to learn to use these tools for what they're good at and not blindly trust everything they say." Even though Google's efforts are extensive in providing accurate information, current AI technology still faces challenges in accuracy, he admitted.
'A new phase'
Amidst anticipation from the tech world, Google is launching its latest consumer AI model, Gemini 3.0, which promises to recapture market share from competitors like ChatGPT. This past May, Google started integrating an "AI Mode" into its search, featuring the Gemini chatbot. This marks a "new phase of the AI platform shift," according to Mr. Pichai, aiming to enhance user experience by simulating an expert's guidance. This initiative is part of Google's strategy to maintain its competitive edge against AI services like ChatGPT, which represent a challenge to Google's supremacy in online search.
Mr. Pichai's remarks align with findings from BBC research conducted earlier this year, which demonstrated significant inaccuracies in AI chatbots when summarizing news stories. Various AI services, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot, Google's Gemini, and Perplexity AI, were tested with BBC content, revealing notable errors in the AI-generated responses.