AI in the Hot Seat: Adobe's Ethical Crawlers and Google's...Idioms?
Today’s AI news paints a picture of an industry grappling with both immense potential and some serious growing pains. From Adobe’s attempt to wrangle AI training data to Google’s, shall we say, creative interpretations, it’s been a day of ethical considerations and, well, amusing failures.
First up, Adobe is stepping into the arena of ethical AI training. Recognizing the concerns around using copyrighted images in AI datasets, they’re proposing a “robots.txt-styled indicator” for images. This would allow website owners to specify whether or not their images can be used for AI training purposes, giving artists and creators more control over their work. It’s a welcome move towards responsible AI development and addresses a key concern about the exploitation of creative content. You can read more about it on TechCrunch.
On the flip side, Google’s AI Overviews feature is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. As Wired reports, the tool is confidently offering “credible-sounding explanations” for completely made-up idioms. Apparently, it’s possible to “lick a badger twice,” according to Google’s AI. This highlights a fundamental flaw in AI systems: their tendency to hallucinate or invent information when they lack a proper understanding of context or common sense. While the errors are sometimes humorous, they underscore the importance of critical thinking when interacting with AI-generated content.
Adding to the excitement, Android Police is teasing Google I/O 2025, which promises bold new moves with Android, AI, and more. Expect AI to take center stage as Google doubles down on its integration across platforms.
Today’s AI news cycle is a perfect snapshot of where we are. We see genuine efforts to build ethical frameworks for AI training, but also blatant reminders of the technology’s limitations. As AI continues to evolve, navigating this tension between progress and precaution will be crucial.