Google Faces Backlash Over Lack of White People in AI-generated Images
Tech giant Google has temporarily halted its Gemini AI model from generating images of people after facing backlash over the lack of depiction of white individuals. Users have shared images created by Gemini that predominantly feature people of colour, sparking controversy and criticism.
Acknowledging the issue, Google stated that Gemini’s AI image generation was missing the mark and is working to address the recent issues with the feature. The company plans to pause the image generation of people and re-release an improved version soon.
Images generated by Gemini have circulated on social media, prompting mockery and outrage. Some users have accused Google of being “woke” at the expense of truth or accuracy. Debarghya Das notably posted images that failed to acknowledge the existence of white people.
AI models, including Gemini, have faced criticism for overlooking people of colour and perpetuating stereotypes in their results. Google has faced setbacks in the rollout of its AI products, with the AI chatbot Bard making incorrect statements during a demo in the past.
The tech giant has been racing to catch up with rival OpenAI since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Despite the recent controversy, Google remains committed to improving its AI models and ensuring more accurate and inclusive results in the future.
