Musk Blasts Google for “Insane and Civilization-Ending Racist AI”
Elon Musk lashed out at Google for temporarily pausing an image-generation feature in its AI chatbot program called Imagen, following backlash from some users who claimed it produced racist images against white people. Here are 5 key things to know about Musk’s criticism:
1. Series of Angry Tweets
Musk posted multiple X tweets attacking Google, writing in one post: “I’m glad that Google so grossly underestimated capabilities in AI image generation that they made their racist/civilization-ending programs obvious to all.”
2. Users Flagged Generated Images
Social media users said the AI was consistently generating images of dark-skinned people even in inaccurate historical contexts. Google responded it “recognizes that aspects ofImagen’s model lead to it occasionally generating inaccurate historical images.”
3. Google Promises Improvements
Google stated it is immediately working to improve these types of generated images and will soon re-release an improved version. The company aims to enhance model training to address problematic image generation identified by reviewers.
4. Not Musk’s First Social Criticism
This is not the first time Musk has chastised companies for adopting what he claims are flawed policies related to corporate diversity, equity and inclusion. He has also criticized other AI firms such as Sam Altman’s OpenAI in favor of his own company X's AI outfit called DALL-E.
5. Imagen Aims to Prevent AI Abuse
When Imagen debuted, Google highlighted safety practices built into the technology itself to prevent potential AI abuse. But the incidents show establishments must continually refine measures and training to ensure equitable, unbiased AI as the technology rapidly progresses.
While AI image generation delivers creative empowerment, it also risks reflecting and amplifying real-world societal biases if not properly monitored and calibrated. As with any transition, responsible development remains paramount.
