Google AI overestimates global popularity of Gouda cheese
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Occurred: February 2025
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Google's AI-powered Gemini chatbot made an absurd claim about the worldwide consumption of Gouda cheese in an advert intended to be aired during the US Super Bowl, prompting ridicule and accusations of further degradation of the internet.
What happened
What happened
The spot was set to play during a local ad slot in Wisconsin, the state with the highest cheese production in the US.
Intended to help small businesses use AI, the ad shows a Wisconsin cheesemaker asking Gemini to help it write a product description for a Gouda product, to which it responded by claiming that Gouda accounts for "50-60% of global cheese consumption."
There is no reliable data on the exact percentage of global cheese consumption that Gouda represents. Experts suggest that while Gouda is popular, especially in Europe, it is highly unlikely to be the most consumed cheese worldwide.
Why it happened
Why it happened
Google cloud executive, Jerry Dischler, responded by insisting that Gemini was functioning properly and blaming "multiple sites across the web [that] include the 50-60% stat" as the reason the information surfaced within Gemini.
The technology company initially defended the statistic, claiming it was "grounded in the web" and found on multiple sites, but ended up updating the ad.
What it means
What it means
The incident demonstrated Gemini's ability to regurgitate unreliable information and generate misinformation and disinformation.
It also highlighted inadequate fact-checking by Google.
More broadly, the episode serves as a reminder for society not to take information provided by search engines or AI chatbots at face-value.
Operator: Google
Developer: Google
Country: USA
Sector: Business/professional services
Purpose: Generate advertising copy
Technology: Generative AI; Machine learning
Issue: Accuracy/reliability; Mis/disinformation
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Type: Issue
Published: February 2025
Page updated
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