Google's search engine displayed AI-generated fake artwork as the top result when users searched for famous artists Edward Hopper and Johannes Vermeer, with the fake Vermeer image becoming the featured image in Google's overview of the artist.
In May 2023, Google's search algorithm twice displayed AI-generated artwork as top search results for famous artists. First, when users searched for 'Edward Hopper,' an AI-generated knockoff in the painter's style appeared as the top result and became the featured image in Google's artist overview. Google fixed this issue, but weeks later the same problem occurred with Johannes Vermeer. When users searched for the Dutch baroque master, Google displayed an AI-generated version of 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' as the top result and featured image. The AI artwork, created by Julian van Dieken, was actually part of a controversial museum exhibition at the Netherlands' Mauritshuis Museum, where it was displayed alongside other fan-created versions while the original painting was on loan. The AI image contained obvious anachronisms like glowing earrings resembling electric lamps, despite Vermeer's original dating to 1665. Google's algorithm failed to recognize the contextual information from the linked Hyperallergic article, which clearly identified the image as AI-generated and reported on the controversy surrounding its museum display. The incident highlights concerns about AI-generated content proliferating in search results and potentially misleading users seeking information about art history.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that inadvertently generate or spread incorrect or deceptive information, which can lead to inaccurate beliefs in users and undermine their autonomy. Humans that make decisions based on false beliefs can experience physical, emotional or material harms
AI system
Due to a decision or action made by an AI system
Unintentional
Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed