AI Generated Image
Google’s AI Is Telling Users That Flock Cameras Are Filled With Valuable Gold and Copper
Yahoo Tech • • technology
Key Points:
- Google's AI Overview incorrectly claims that Flock's AI-integrated license plate readers (ALPRs) contain significant amounts of valuable metals like gold and copper, suggesting up to 5 grams of gold and 23 pounds of copper per device.
- The actual metal content in Flock's ALPRs is minimal and not worth the effort to extract, contrary to the viral meme circulating in privacy-focused communities encouraging vandalism for scrap value.
- Google's AI Overview bases its erroneous claims on unreliable sources: an anonymous Substack post with speculative scrap value estimates and an AI-generated Instagram post promoting destruction of the devices.
- This situation highlights the irony of one AI-driven surveillance company's search engine inadvertently promoting the vandalism of a competitor's AI surveillance equipment.
- Google has not responded to requests for comment regarding the misinformation provided by its AI Overview.
