Google to deploy generative artificial intelligence to create novel adverts

Alphabet’s Google plans to introduce generative artificial intelligence into its advertising business over the coming months to create “novel” advertisements, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing an internal presentation.
 

Generative AI is a type of technology that relies on past data to create rather than identify content.
 

Last month, Google began the public release of its chatbot Bard, seeking users and feedback to gain ground on Microsoft in the race to top the market for AI technology.
 

According to the presentation, advertisers can supply “creative” content such as imagery, video, and text relating to a particular ad campaign, and the AI will then mix this material to generate ads based on the target audience, along with sales targets, the report said. While there have been concerns about the wider impact of AI on issues like disinformation, phishing attempts and cybercrime, Google plans to put in guardrails to address them when it rolls out the new generative AI features. 

Google’s rush to win in AI led to ethical lapses

Shortly before Google introduced Bard, its AI chatbot, to the public in March, it asked employees to test the tool. 

One worker’s conclusion: Bard was “a pathological liar,” according to screenshots of the internal discussion. Another called it “cringe-worthy.” One wrote that when they asked Bard suggestions for how to land a plane, it regularly gave advice that would lead to a crash; another said it gave answers on scuba diving “which would likely result in serious injury or death.”

Google launched Bard anyway.  The trusted internet-search giant is providing low-quality information in a race to keep up with the competition, while giving less priority to its ethical commitments, according to 18 current and former workers at the firm and internal documents. The firm had pledged in 2021 to double its team studying the ethics of artificial intelligence. The group working on ethics that Google pledged to fortify is now disempowered and demoralised, sources sand former workers said. 

Bloomberg