Google has temporarily disabled its new AI-powered "AI Overviews" feature for some searches due to errors and is working to minimize mistakes in this feature.
The AI Overviews feature, introduced at Google I/O 2024, provides summarized search results instead of just links.
The feature has faced challenges, including misinterpreting queries, lack of quality information, and providing irrelevant or nonsensical information.
Google is working to improve the AI Overviews feature by restricting the types of questions it can answer, improving detection of nonsensical queries, and limiting inclusion of satire and user-generated content.
While Google maintains that AI Overviews increase website clicks, third-party web traffic metrics are needed to verify their claims.
Industry experts anticipate ongoing challenges and mistakes with AI-powered search services, as the underlying technology of LLMs lacks real understanding of the world.
Sources: The New York Times, Wired, Technology Review, TechRadar, Engadget, The Straits Times, Yahoo News, iMore, SlashGear, TechSpot
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.