Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, saw its shares plummet in early trading on Monday after the company’s latest AI chatbot, Bard, flubbed a critical answer during a promotional video.
Bard, which was designed to showcase the advancements in Google’s AI technology, was intended to answer a series of questions in real-time. However, during the advertisement, Bard was asked a question about the company’s financial performance, and its answer was far from accurate.
According to sources, Bard replied to the question by saying that Alphabet’s shares had risen by 20% in the last quarter, which was not only incorrect but also the opposite of the actual performance. In reality, the company’s shares had dropped by 19% in the same period, leading to a widespread panic among investors.
The incident quickly went viral, with many people taking to social media to express their disappointment and concern about the future of AI technology. Some experts are now questioning the reliability of AI systems, and their ability to make accurate predictions and assessments.
In a statement, Google issued an apology for the mishap and promised to investigate the issue. The company also stated that they take the accuracy of their AI systems very seriously and that they would be taking all necessary steps to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
The incident is being widely seen as a major setback for Google, which has been investing heavily in AI technology in recent years. The company had hoped to use Bard as a flagship product to showcase its advancements and leadership in the field, but the misstep has instead raised concerns about the technology’s ability to deliver accurate results.
Alphabet’s shares are expected to remain under pressure in the coming days as the market continues to react to the incident.
