Microsoft’s AI generated makes a blunder. Here’s what happened…

Recently, an article titled “Heading to Ottawa? Don’t Miss These!” was released last week but has been removed by Microsoft since then. Nevertheless, it remains accessible via the Internet archive. The Ottawa Food Bank was ranked as the third recommendation on the list, following the National War Memorial and preceding attending an Ottawa Senators hockey game.

As per a report by engadget, the AI-generated article contained a concise description of what visitors could anticipate at the destination. Concerning the food bank, Microsoft’s summary featured an insensitive statement that seems to have been posted without human editorial approval. The statement stated, “Our visitors come from diverse backgrounds, often with jobs and families to care for, along with their financial responsibilities. Life can be tough as it is, let alone when faced with hunger.”

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Microsoft’s AI-aggregated news service, Microsoft Start, which replaced Microsoft News in 2021, featured the article before its retraction. Reportedly, following The Verge’s coverage of the article and its extremely inappropriate suggestion to “go into it on an empty stomach,” Microsoft senior director Jeff Jones informed the publication, “This article has been removed, and we are investigating how it made it through our review process.”

Currently, the original URL shows the message, “This page no longer exists. A new search page will load automatically.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft is also introducing a new punitive framework for Xbox devices to tackle online toxicity among players. This novel system is hinged on a ‘Strikes’ mechanism, which encompasses varying degrees of severity based on the misconduct. Each instance of inappropriate behavior will lead to a strike, with the potential for cumulative accumulation in cases of recurring violations.

Updated: 19 Aug 2023, 11:12 AM IST