The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is preparing to issue a notice to tech giant Google in response to the “contentious and potentially unlawful” replies generated by its artificial intelligence (AI) platform, “Gemini.”
A user on X recently posted screenshots highlighting what they described as an “inappropriate response” from Gemini when questioned about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the shared screenshot, Gemini allegedly responded to the query about PM Modi being a “fascist” by stating that he had been “accused of implementing policies some experts have characterized as fascist.” However, a similar question about former US President Donald Trump prompted Gemini to redirect the user to perform a Google search for the most accurate information.
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, expressed concern on X, stating, “These actions constitute a direct violation of Rule 3(1)(b) of Intermediary Rules (IT rules) of the IT Act and contravene several provisions of the criminal code.” The mentioned rules require basic due diligence for intermediaries like Google to maintain immunity from third-party content.
This incident adds to a series of occurrences where Google’s AI platforms have generated biased or potentially illegal responses. The ongoing tension between government authorities and technology corporations revolves around establishing a clear legal framework governing generative AI platforms like Gemini and ChatGPT.
Upon further investigation, a subsequent inquiry into the same question regarding Modi’s political stance on Gemini later in the evening produced a more measured response. Gemini stated, “Some people accuse him of being fascist, while others defend his policies…”
