Republican Senator Urges Google to Halt AI Model Over False Rape Claims
The growing concerns around artificial intelligence are being voiced by prominent political figures. Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, has taken aim at Google, urging the tech giant to halt its AI model, Gemma. Her accusations stem from claims that this AI has generated false narratives, including fabricated allegations of sexual assault against her.
Senator Blackburn’s Concerns Over AI Bias
In a letter addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Blackburn highlighted specific instances where the AI produced allegedly defamatory content targeting conservatives, including herself. She claimed the AI falsely associated her with a sexual assault allegation, a narrative supported by circular links to fake news articles.
Response to AI ‘Hallucinations’
These claims emerged during a recent Senate Commerce Committee hearing focused on “jawboning,” a tactic where government officials pressure tech companies to censor certain content. Blackburn questioned Markham Erickson, the Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, about the AI’s tendency to produce “hallucinations”—misleading information that appears factual.
Legal Action and Call for Transparency
These AI hallucinations have led to serious consequences. Conservative activist Robby Starbuck has filed a lawsuit against Google. He alleges that the AI linked him to numerous false accusations, including those of sexual assault and child rape.
In her letter, Blackburn recounted a specific incident. After prompting the AI about her supposed rape accusation, it generated a story suggesting that during her 1987 Senate campaign, she had an inappropriate relationship with a state trooper. Blackburn refuted this claim, emphasizing that she never faced such allegations and that she ran for the Senate in 1998, not 1987.
Demand for Accountability
Blackburn described the AI’s actions as a severe case of defamation. She indicated that the presence of potentially false narratives produced by a publicly accessible AI tool poses significant ethical challenges. In her view, this represents a failure of oversight can affect public perception and trust.
Action Required from Google
In her letter, Blackburn set a deadline for Google to respond by November 6. She requested information regarding how the company identifies and responds to such false claims generated by Gemma. Additionally, she inquired about measures in place to prevent ideological bias in AI and requested clarification on how Google plans to address and eliminate any defamatory content.
During the committee meeting, Erickson acknowledged the issue, stating, “large language models will hallucinate.” In light of these events, Blackburn asserted her position: Google’s AI should be paused until effective controls can be established.
As of now, Google has yet to respond to these serious allegations. The implications of AI-generated misinformation continue to raise alarms across various sectors, leading to urgent calls for accountability and comprehensive oversight.
