Google’s next AI may not be good for you

What do hot dogs and Google's new AI search have in common

You'll love both of them, and you have no idea what's inside. With its latest version of search, Google is preparing answers for you on its own page

It's taking all kinds of data from all kinds of places, puts it in an AI meat grinder, and then spits out a hot dog

Customized to help you and your particular need. So instead of you going from site to site, you can just use Google's output

You see, hot dogs are delicious. They're associated with fun things like barbecues

But there's a sinister side too. Hot dogs are usually sold in packs of 10

buns and eight packs. They're also the perfect shape to close up your airways and choke you

So how does this relate to Google? At Google's Big Developers Conference

it showed how the new search will work. The example the company used was setting up a weekend plan

Google goes out, looks for all kinds of places and activities that would fit your lifestyle

You have specific plans just for you. So far, this is a good hot dog. But how did Google arrive

to its conclusion? How exactly is the Google search sausage made? You can see how it thinks

on the left pane while code flies by on the right. So you should be able to understand the thought process

in one way or another That is if you bother to check how many people are going to look through those two panes Also how exactly is Google arriving to its conclusions In Google terms of service the company says quote

your saved activity can be used on Google for both personalized recommendations and personalized ads

Your activity here means your searches and YouTube history. Google's grinding up all that info into a delicious hot dog for you

You could also find this hot dog a little icky at this point. it makes sense that Google would watch what you do on its services

but your searches on Google and YouTube will impact your recommendations. I asked Google representatives numerous times if and when ads would be integrated into its new vision of search

What's to stop a big company from having its services front and center? They didn't have an answer at the show

Will Google's ethical commitment be enough? So far, we've all assumed that Google is presenting accurate data

At the bottom of many Google demo videos, you would see a message that says

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes. Oh yeah, it can make mistakes

but I'm relying on your conclusions to make decisions. You realize that this is a big gaping hole in Google, right

If Google intakes the wrong information, it can spit it back out without ysis How many times have you had a conversation with AI where you explain some rules and then the AI just forgets it You get an apology Apologies aren great if I trying to set up my weekend Also if the AI makes mistakes won I have to look up everything

to make sure the results are accurate? So what has Google done? It hands you a hot dog

but you don't know what's in it or how it came to be. If you ask Google, it can just point you

to its terms and services, which you signed up for when you joined Google's world. Call it

fear-mongering if you want, but people rarely read past a headline these days. Do you think

regular people are going to investigate how Google got its results? Sure they are, but since this is

Google, there's always more. If you've got questions about this stuff, let me know in the comments and

I'll ask Google directly. Did you know that when you favored a place in your Google search weekend

planner that Google Maps doesn't know about it? This is more like the unmatched dogs to buns ratio

issue. It's a minor issue, but it's still an issue. If you're expecting Google to be consistent

between properties, oh boy, do I have some bad news for you. I'm talking about somewhat

unimportant events like a weekend. But you know people are going to use Gemini for much more than

that Your medical questions your legal problems your relationship issues People are already treating AI like a doctor a lawyer and a therapist And if you connect your Google health data your Gmail your Maps history

Google will have a complete picture of your life. It will answer your most personal questions using all of that

And it might be wrong. An apology from an AI is rough when it planned a bad weekend

What does an apology look like when the stakes are higher? Google will spit out answers to you, but they may not be correct

However, it is so easy for people to say, I saw it online or Google says

even though Google does not truly generate the content it presents. It's a giant aggregator

pulling parts in from everywhere and condensing it down. Is Google fact-checking

I'm not saying that Google's AI is doomed. I'm saying that people need to think twice

before chowing down. Also, since Google is using your searches for ads

it wants you to write out things as specifically as you can. Then it can turn around and get an ad ready for you

If you're the person planning the block party about Marty's special 47th year anniversary of working at the cardboard box factory

enjoy your ads for box-shaped balloons from the Balloon King. So Google used to give you links, now hot dogs

I await Google's next meat product