IT Minister says apologizing for Google Gemini AI fiasco is not in line with expectations
In the midst of the Google Gemini AI platform controversies, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar emphasized that a mere apology is not sufficient to meet the country’s legal standards. This statement coincides with the Indian government’s advisory to tech companies, urging them to obtain explicit consent before releasing AI models still in the testing phase.
IT Minister at Google Gemini
The issue arose in February when a verified user shared a screenshot that revealed the Gemini AI chatbot’s biased responses to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking note, Chandrasekhar slammed the AI’s response as a direct violation of IT rules and provisions of the Penal Code. The government asked Google for a response to the same, to which the company said, “Sorry, the platform is unreliable.”
However, according to the IT minister, it is not enough. Speaking to NDTV, Chandrasekhar said, “Platforms like Google are major forces on the Internet [and] for those who can do something wrong and then just say, ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I apologize,’ there’s really no law. Expect them to.”
The IT minister further said that publishing untested platforms will lead to consequences, and a mere apology does not meet the country’s expectations of compliance with laws. He also said that the belief of big tech companies to bring something to market without guardrails is “unpleasant and unacceptable.”
While Chandrasekhar did not say whether the government plans to file an appeal against Google, stressing that the government may or may not take action because it has limited powers under the law, he added that “individuals or groups will have to hold them to account.”
