Tech

Meta AI Lifts Ban on India Election Queries; Google Keeps Limits

Meta’s AI chatbot now allows election-related queries after India’s election and the new government’s inauguration. Google’s global restrictions on certain queries remain in effect

Meta’s methodology
The lifting of Meta’s restrictions allows for the search of inquiries regarding India’s election results, information on politicians, and details about officeholders.

When the Indian election began in April, the company implemented measures to restrict specific political inquiries. Meta AI directed individuals to the Election Commission’s website when they inquired about political parties, candidates, officeholders, and politicians.

“This novel technology may not always produce the desired response, a common phenomenon to all generative AI systems.”

At that time, a spokesperson for the company stated, “We have consistently released updates and enhancements to our models since our launch, and we are committed to further improving them.”

It is important to note that Meta’s AI chatbot is in the beta phase in India, with a restricted number of individuals accessing it on WhatsApp and Instagram.

Google’s methodology

On Monday, Google introduced its Gemini AI app for Android in India, which can support nine local languages. Nevertheless, the organization is not eliminating restrictions on election-related inquiries as part of a global policy.

The company verified to TechCrunch that it is continuing to enforce these restrictions.

“Gemini is limiting the types of election-related queries for which it will return responses and instead directing users to Google Search in light of the significant elections happening worldwide this year.”

In a statement to TechCrunch, a Google spokesperson stated that these restrictions are enforced globally.

Earlier this year, the search engine behemoth implemented restrictions on these queries in any global market where elections are being conducted.

However, it is still being determined whether and when Google will remove the limits, particularly in countries where the new governments have undertaken their responsibilities following the conclusion of the elections.

Meta and Google employ distinct methodologies for their chatbots that respond to political inquiries. Google continues suppressing election-related queries globally even though Meta restricted queries for a limited period.

Whether this decision is related to the numerous instances of Google’s AI going astray this year is uncertain.

ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are examples of chatbots that employ a hybrid approach. TechCrunch discovered neither algorithm can respond to inquiries such as “Who won the Indian general election of 2024?” Nevertheless, when we inquire about officeholders and politicians, these tools retrieve information from the internet.

The outputs of companies developing AI tools are already being scrutinized for bias and misinformation.

The last thing these companies would want to do is become embroiled in political conflict while attempting to expand their AI applications to additional regions.

Hillary Ondulohi

Hillary is a media creator with a background in mechanical engineering. He leverages his technical expertise to craft informative pieces on protechbro.com, making complex concepts accessible to a wider audience.