Google's AI overviews in Hindi not up to the mark
Google's recent introduction of Hindi support for AI overviews in India, has been met with criticism due to its inconsistent performance. The feature allows users to switch between English and Hindi without leaving the search page. However, several instances have been reported where the tool failed to provide accurate translations or contextually correct answers. This inconsistency poses a challenge for companies like Google, operating in linguistically diverse countries such as India.
Failure to answer simple queries
The inconsistencies in Google's AI overviews were highlighted through several examples. A simple query about sugar substitutes in tea, when rephrased in Hindi, yielded no results. Another instance involved the literal translation of English words into Hindi, leading to confusion. For example, a question about summer-appropriate foods resulted in the Hindi translation for "oily" being rendered as "sticky," causing misunderstanding among users.
AI overviews provide incorrect information
Google's AI overviews have also been found to provide incorrect information. A query about YouTube's ownership resulted in the tool incorrectly stating that Neal Mohan was no longer Google's CEO as of February 2023, contradicting the correct English version. The tool also struggled with providing straightforward answers to simple questions such as "When is Diwali this year?" Instead of a direct response, users received a paragraph on last year's Diwali followed by several links before finally getting the actual answer.
Struggle with sensitive topics
The AI overviews also struggled with more sensitive topics such as menstruation and pregnancy. A question about family planning post-marriage resulted in a confusing Hindi paragraph suggesting couples should wait at least two years. It also stated that if someone marries around 25, they have "three years," without specifying what this timeframe was for.
AI overviews miss context
The AI overviews tool also missed crucial context in its responses. For example, when asked about food joints in Delhi, it suggested that snacks were available at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, a Sikh place of worship. However, the source article had specified that these items could be obtained outside the Gurudwara - a detail overlooked by the AI tool.
Google's response to criticism
In response to criticism, a Google spokesperson stated that AI overviews only appear for queries where they have high confidence in the quality of output. The company claims that this feature is "rooted in our core search quality systems" and will "only show information that's backed up by top web results." They also mentioned that when issues arise, they may be due to their systems misinterpreting web content or reflecting inaccuracies on the web.
