Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

YouTube’s Notre Dame-9-11 flub highlights AI’s blind spots

YouTube's Notre Dame-9-11 flub highlights AI's blind spots | iNFOnews.ca
In this image made available on Tuesday April 16, 2019 flames and smoke rise from the blaze as the spire starts to topple on Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. An inferno that raged through Notre Dame Cathedral for more than 12 hours destroyed its spire and its roof but spared its twin medieval bell towers, and a frantic rescue effort saved the monument's "most precious treasures," including the Crown of Thorns purportedly worn by Jesus, officials said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Thierry Mallet)

SAN FRANCISCO – Internet users who tuned in to YouTube to watch live video of Notre Dame Cathedral on fire might have been surprised to see background information about 9-11 attached to the footage.

The culprit: an automated YouTube system recently put in place to combat conspiracy theories and fake material that spreads in the wake of some news events.

YouTube says the background information — consisting of an entry from the Encyclopedia Britannica — was mistakenly placed there by the system’s algorithms and was quickly taken down.

But the incident is the latest example of artificial intelligence misfiring, and a sign that we have a long way to go before AI becomes smart enough to understand nuance and context.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

iNFOTEL

Related Articles