Potentially impacting all AI search engines and chatbots known to poorly paraphrase source links, a German court has ruled that Google is liable for false statements in AI Overviews.
The ruling came in a case flagged by The Decoder, where two publishers found that Google’s AI Overviews incorrectly linked them to scams and other sketchy business practices. After smearing publishers by making affirmative statements like “Yes, [it] is known for dubious business practices and is often perceived as a scam,” Google failed to correct the misleading output, even after the publishers sent a cease-and-desist letter earlier this year.
Google tried the usual arguments to shield itself from liability for false statements in AI Overviews, such as arguing that most users understand that AI outputs aren’t always accurate and must be verified.
Minor clarification - the article writer (not the ruling) said: “In other words, nobody needs AI to search the Internet.”
The actual ruling was that a search provider is responsible if they inaccurately summarize results. When search results are just links to content related to a topic, the provider isn’t responsible for the accuracy of the content, which is created by others. But they are responsible for their own summaries and other provider-created content.
This is clearly a reasonable line to draw. This is not content created by others. It’s your robot. Fix your shit.
Saying “I slapped a disclaimer on my libelous robot that says that it may generate libel” doesn’t grant you the right to be libelous.
Yeah it’s not a landmark ruling by any means, it conforms to precedents and follows common sense. Content creators are responsible for what they create.
The clickbait headline tying the author’s quote to the ruling was journalistically unprofessional - but headlines are usually written by editors not writers.
Maybe google should try to make a service that just shows links to useful pages to answer the search requests.
Don’t be ridiculous. what’s next? Ownership of brought software instead of a License for use?
Like the Yellow Pages but for the internet!
Which is such an amazing detail, and really is the clincher.
They would have to revert their AI “answers” until they can deliver consistent accuracy on their answers. Which isn’t even a possibility with AI.
I hope someone brings this to the US as well.
This is entirely reasonable and I hope this understanding catches on in courts worldwide.
If I go make my own summary/parody/spinoff/reaction video based on someone else’s content, I’m responsible for the media I created. Simple as that. Same should apply to companies.