A musician is threatening to sue Google after its AI wrongly labeled him a sexual predator. It resulted in a concert venue cancelling one of his shows.
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Google’s AI-generated summary falsely labeled the musician as a sex offender. Ashley MacIsaac, a Canadian folk singer-songwriter, says that organizers at a show in Nova Scotia canceled his show.
The Canadian Press reported that Google AI overview is to blame. The service claimed MacIsaac was convicted of multiple sexual offenses. It also listed him on the Canada’s national sex offender registry.
“I could have been at a border and put in jail. So something has to be figured out as far as what the AI companies are responsible for, and what they can prevent” MacIsaac told the Canadian Press.
Organizers saw the Google AI summary and canceled the show. The AI service pulled together articles, including a man from Canada who happened to share the same last name.
“You are being put into a less secure situation because of a media company — that’s what defamation is,” MacIsaac said. “If a lawyer wants to take this on [for free], I would stand up because I’m not the first and I’m sure I won’t be the last.”
Musician Calls Out Google
After the incident, a Google spokesperson released a statement about the incident.
“AI Overviews frequently improve to show the most helpful information, and we invest significantly in the quality of responses,” a Google spokesperson said. “When issues arise – like if our features misinterpret web content or miss some context – we use those examples to improve our systems, and may take action under our policies.”
Meanwhile, the Sipekne’katik First Nation, which cancelled MacIsaac’s concert, apologized to the musician.
“We deeply regret the harm this caused to your reputation and livelihood. Chief and council value your artistry, contribution to the cultural life of the Maritimes, and your commitment to reconciliation,” they said.
MacIsaac said he may reschedule the performance.
“I don’t feel comfortable about going there right now because I don’t think the proper information can be disseminated within a week. It’s seen so many shares. I didn’t want to bring any attention negatively to the community,” he said.