In a startling revelation, a former Google executive has sounded the alarm, suggesting investors are “deeply frustrated” and alarmed by the scandal swirling around the tech giant’s Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) model.
David Friedberg, CEO of The Production Board and a former Google executive, offered insights into the growing concerns on the technology podcast “All-In,” which he co-hosts alongside prominent entrepreneurs and investors Chamath Palihapitiya, David Sacks, and Jason Calacanis.
According to Friedberg, many investors are not just irked by the controversy surrounding Gemini’s creation of “woke” content but are profoundly concerned that the AI blunder could jeopardize Google’s search monopoly and profitability.
“The real threat to Google is more so, are they in a position to maintain their search monopoly or maintain the chunk of profits that drive the business under the threat of AI? Are they adapting? And less so about the anger around woke and DEI,” Friedberg explained in an article on Fox Business.
Friedberg’s remarks come amid mounting criticism of Gemini, with users and critics lambasting the AI for generating inaccurate and potentially biased content. Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., faced significant losses, with its value plummeting by over $70 billion following the disastrous rollout of Gemini.
The fallout prompted Google CEO Sundar Pichai to apologize and assure the company was working diligently to rectify the AI’s shortcomings. Last month, Google suspended Gemini’s image generation feature after widespread reports of inaccurately replacing historical images with images of individuals from different racial backgrounds.
In response to the uproar, Google launched an update to Gemini last week to address inaccuracies and grant users more control over the generated content. However, investor skepticism persists, with concerns mounting over Google’s ability to navigate the evolving landscape of AI technology effectively.
As Google grapples with the fallout from the Gemini debacle, the tech giant faces a pivotal moment in its quest to maintain dominance in the fiercely competitive digital landscape. With investor confidence wavering and scrutiny intensifying, the road ahead for Google remains fraught with uncertainty. Will the tech behemoth rise to the occasion and emerge stronger, or is it too broken to be fixed? Only time will tell.