The owner of a popular restaurant and bakery in Millbank, Ontario, is doing everything she can to assure everyone that her business remains open after a false rumor circulated stating it would be shutting down at the end of the month.
This rumor began with an error in Google’s AI overview.
Over the weekend, someone searched for Anna Mae’s Bakery on Google, and the AI-generated summary incorrectly claimed that the bakery, located just northwest of Kitchener, was closing on July 31.
Amanda Herrfort, who owns Anna Mae’s, found out about this mistake when she was en route to a wedding and received a screenshot of the search result from someone.
“That’s when I panicked,” Herrfort told on Thursday.
She quickly realized that Google had confused her bakery with another one in Illinois that has the same name and is actually closing down.
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Amanda Herrfort, owner of Anna Mae’s, started an online campaign to let people know her restaurant and bakery wasn’t closing. (Anna Mae’s Bakery and Restaurant/Facebook)
Herrfort initiated an online effort to correct the misinformation, but customers continued to reach out via email, phone calls, and visits asking about it.
“We have a lot of people coming in talking to our employees saying: ‘It says that you are [closing]. And then the employees would say: ‘Well, no, we’re not.’”
Ultimately, Herrfort managed to address the error by submitting a request through Google’s AI search bar for corrections.
“I said: ‘I would like this fixed please.’ And then it wrote back saying: ‘Oh yes, I can see how this could be detrimental, and we will get this fixed as soon as we can and I will make sure the correct information is given going forward.’ It’s like, OK, I hope this works,” Herrfort said.
“Obviously , it wasn’t great thing happening … humans do make – or rather not humans per se but rather machines create inconsistencies sometimes!” she laughed heartily thereafter sharing insight gained throughout experience faced here lately which brings light many others navigate likewise ! She advised best approach whenever uncertainties arise online regarding facts concerning businesses lies within reaching direct sources themselves instead searching blindly elsewhere instead relying heavily upon automated systems alone generating potentially misleading statements altogether altogether!!!
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‘Real consequences for real people’
Google’s AI overview feature launched in 2024. At that time, its mistakes – including one suggestion about using glue for pizza toppings – gained attention. A report from last year by BBC looked into various AI chatbots from Google, Microsoft, Open AI and Perplexity found “significant inaccuracies” in their news summaries although it didn’t specifically evaluate Google’s AI overviews. A small disclaimer at the bottom of its AI summaries states that “AI responses may include mistakes.” A spokesperson for Google mentioned on Thursday that “the vast majority of AI overviews are high quality and meet our high bar for helpfulness and accuracy.” “Just like other features in search,” they added,” issues can arise when there is an absence of high-quality information on the web regarding a specific topic; we use these examples to improve AI overviews overall.”‘Real consequences for real people’
The company noted that errors within AI overviews are similar to those seen across other search functionalities since billions of searches happen each day. They stated they take action when needed based on such errors while also learning from them.LISTEN | Christine Logel on studying what it’s like to have an AI boyfriend:The Morning Edition – K-W10:01What’s the harm in having an AI boyfriend?
As more individuals turn towards AIs for companionship purposes , two researchers from University Of Waterloo explore how such relationships impact us. Denise Marigold along with Christine Logel teach social development studies there. Denise signed up intending specifically studying these so-called relationships. Together they share findings accumulated during research conducted recently. Christine Logel serves as professor focusing mainly upon Social Development Studies based at university & completed work regarding LLM companionship offered through AIs including Google’s overview function recently too! She indicated despite much training put into LLMs prior releases occurred before full testing could be achieved successfully resulting thusly hereafter issues arising subsequently afterwards yet again!! “That means things like this [mistake with Anna Mae’s Bakery] are going to happen,” Logel mentioned during conversation also! Adding further she remarked “I think people learn hard way … still seeing instances occurring sciences laws where hallucinated cases never actually existed even once ! It becomes somewhat cautionary tale alongside experiences involved too!”‘I guess AI makes mistakes’
For now though , Herrfort tries taking it easy amidst chaos surrounding situation currently unfolding daily around her establishment!“Obviously , it wasn’t great thing happening … humans do make – or rather not humans per se but rather machines create inconsistencies sometimes!” she laughed heartily thereafter sharing insight gained throughout experience faced here lately which brings light many others navigate likewise ! She advised best approach whenever uncertainties arise online regarding facts concerning businesses lies within reaching direct sources themselves instead searching blindly elsewhere instead relying heavily upon automated systems alone generating potentially misleading statements altogether altogether!!!
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