Google sent out an AI-generated news alert that included the N-word, . The push notification featured a link to a story by The Hollywood Reporter regarding an incident at the recent BAFTA Film Awards. The word appeared in the notification under the link.
This was first spotted by , who accompanied a screengrab with a caption reading “what an interesting Black History Month this has turned out to be.” Google has since apologized and said that it has “removed the offensive notification” and is “working to prevent this from happening again.”
This story follows the aforementioned BAFTA incident, in which an audience member with Tourette syndrome shouted the N-word when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took to the stage to present an award. Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson, who made the comment, “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intention or to carry any meaning.” The incident has sparked outrage and a renewed discussion on the realities of living with vocal tics.
AI makes lots of high-profile errors and this isn’t the first time it has ruined a news alert. Apple actually when the tool made a , including wrongly telling readers that the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione, had shot himself.