Google Temporarily Suspends AI Image Generation of People in Gemini Suite to Address Historical Inaccuracies
Google has announced that it is temporarily suspending the ability of its flagship generative AI suite, Gemini, to generate images of people. The company is taking this step to address the recent issues related to historical inaccuracies in the generated images. Google aims to improve the technology and ensure that the outputs involving depictions of humans are historically accurate.
The decision to pause the image generation of people was shared by Google on the social media platform X. The company stated that it is actively working on resolving the problems and will soon release an improved version of Gemini. The tweet from Google Communications read, “We’re already working to address recent issues with Gemini’s image generation feature. While we do this, we’re going to pause the image generation of people and will re-release an improved version soon.”
Gemini, which was launched earlier this month, has faced criticism in recent days due to examples of it generating incongruous images of historical figures. Social media platforms have been flooded with images of the U.S. Founding Fathers depicted as American Indian, black, or Asian, leading to widespread criticism and even ridicule.
Paris-based venture capitalist Michael Jackson joined the criticism by branding Google’s AI as “a nonsensical DEI parody” in a post on LinkedIn. DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Jackson’s comment highlights the importance of ensuring accurate representation in AI-generated content.
In response to the backlash, Google acknowledged the inaccuracies in historical image generation depictions in a post on X. The company stated that it is aware of the issue and is actively working to improve these depictions. While Gemini’s AI image generation typically produces a wide range of people, it seems to be missing the mark when it comes to historical accuracy.
Generative AI tools like Gemini produce outputs based on training data and other parameters, including model weights. However, these tools have often faced criticism for generating outputs that are biased or stereotypical. For example, they have been known to produce overtly sexualized imagery of women or respond to prompts for high-status job roles with imagery of white men.
This is not the first time Google has faced controversy regarding its AI image classification tools. In 2015, the company’s earlier tool misclassified black men as gorillas, sparking outrage. Google promised to fix the issue but resorted to a workaround solution by blocking the technology from recognizing gorillas altogether.
Google’s decision to temporarily suspend the image generation of people in Gemini demonstrates its commitment to addressing historical inaccuracies and improving the technology. By taking this step, the company aims to ensure that AI-generated images are more representative and accurate. Users can expect an improved version of Gemini to be released soon, reflecting Google’s dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion in AI.