Current:Home > ContactGoogle shares drop $100 billion after its new AI chatbot makes a mistake -FundPrime
Google shares drop $100 billion after its new AI chatbot makes a mistake
View
Date:2025-04-18 05:49:29
Google's parent company, Alphabet, lost $100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new artificial intelligence technology produced a factual error in its first demo.
It's a bruising reception for Bard, the conversational bot that Google launched as a competitor to Microsoft's headline-making darling, ChatGPT.
In the fateful ad that ran on Google's Twitter feed this week, the company described Bard as "a launchpad for curiosity" and a search tool to "help simplify complex topics."
An accompanying GIF prompts Bard with the question, "What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope can I tell my 9 year old about?" The chatbot responds with a few bullet points, including the claim that the telescope took the very first pictures of "exoplanets," or planets outside of earth's solar system.
"These discoveries can spark a child's imagination about the infinite wonders of the universe," Bard says.
But the James Webb Telescope didn't discover exoplanets. The European Southern Observatory's very large telescope took the first pictures of those special celestial bodies in 2004, a fact that NASA confirms.
Social media users quickly pointed out that the company could've fact-checked the exoplanet claim by, well, Googling it.
The ad aired just hours before Google's senior executives touted Bard as the future of the company at a launch event in Paris. By Wednesday, Alphabet shares had slid as much as 9% during trading hours, balancing out by the day's close.
Meanwhile, shares for Microsoft, Google's rival, rose by 3%. Microsoft announced this week that it would incorporate ChatGPT into products like its Bing search engine. The company has invested $10 billion into OpenAI, the start-up that created ChatGPT.
Led by Microsoft, AI technology has recently taken Silicon Valley by storm, dazzling investors and sparking fear in writers for its ability to answer questions in plain, simple language rather than a list of links.
Ethicists warn the technology raises the risk of biased answers, increased plagiarism and the spread of misinformation. Though they're often perceived as all-knowing machines, AI bots frequently state incorrect information as fact because they're designed to fill in gaps.
The flurry of AI innovation comes amidst widespread job cuts in the tech sector. Alphabet cut about 6% of its global workforce — or 12,000 jobs — last month.
Google did not respond to NPR's request for comment. In a Monday blog post, CEO Sundar Pichai said Bard will be available exclusively to "trusted testers" before releasing the engine publicly in the coming weeks.
veryGood! (97987)
Related
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Jay Leno Shares Update 2 Years After Burn Accident and Motorcycle Crash
- Alabama takes No. 1 spot in college football's NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after toppling Georgia
- North Carolina town bands together after Helene wreaked havoc: 'That's what we do'
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Biden administration doubles down on tough asylum restrictions at border
- Native Americans in Montana ask court for more in-person voting sites
- Measure to expand medical marijuana in Arkansas won’t qualify for the ballot
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Everything We Loved in September: Shop the Checkout Staff’s Favorite Products
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Murder in a Small Town’s Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk Detail “Thrilling” New Series
- San Francisco stunner: Buster Posey named Giants president, replacing fired Farhan Zaidi
- Conyers fire: Shelter-in-place still in effect after chemical fire at pool cleaning plant
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Star Texas football player turned serial killer fights execution for murdering teenage twins
- Jimmy Carter and hometown of Plains celebrate the 39th president’s 100th birthday
- Inside Frances Bean Cobain's Unique Private World With Riley Hawk
Recommendation
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
The Daily Money: Port strike could cause havoc
Braves vs. Mets doubleheader live updates: How to watch, pitching matchups, MLB playoffs
Helene's brutal toll: At least 100 dead; states struggling to recover. Live updates
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Showstoppers
Criminals set up fake online pharmacies to sell deadly counterfeit pills, prosecutors say
As communities grapple with needle waste, advocates say limiting syringe programs is not the answer