The Google Gemini Faked Demo Controversy

We just reported on Google's recent unveiling of its new generative AI model that powers many of its products and services, including Bard, which is Google's ChatGPT competitor.


Before the ink dried on that report, users were voicing their issues with Gemini. Complaints include inaccurate answers for fact-based questions, translation errors, and trouble with coding. These aren't minor issues, and the complaints are valid.

Google bragged about Gemini's architecture and capabilities, stating that the model "meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI's GPT-4."

That's not the big news. The real kicker is the claim that the demo for Gemini was faked. This might be the hottest claim of fakery since some folks claimed we faked the moon landing.

Say it ain't so, Google.

Okay, so Gemini could do some of the things in the demo video, but the bottom line here is that it didn't do those things in the demo video, raising the question: can it do those things? Can it, in a live setting, even come close? The video demonstration consisted of well-crafted text prompts with still images, truncated to misrepresent the interaction.

Google admitted to reducing latency and shortening outputs, but that's all they will say. Combining the fact that early consumer response to Gemini is poor and that Google talked it up using this fake demo creates one of those controversies we all love.

Except, as we mentioned, users aren't amused.

Heck, all you need to do is browse X (the artist formerly known as Twitter), and you'll find it littered with posts showing examples of the outrageous misinformation and flat-out wrong answers generated by Gemini. Go ahead, do it. You'll have fun.

One example demonstrates how Gemini failed to get basic answers right, like who were the 2023 Oscar winners. Even an old-school, no-AI Google search can figure that out.

Undoubtedly, Google will wiggle its way out of this because consumers want to love Gemini.

The challenge is justifying the "faked" demo, and until Google opens up about it, the conspiracy theories will fly, and the rumor mill will keep churning.

In the meantime, the best way to verify the Gemini project is to put it through the paces on your own without faking a video to do it.

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