"AI summaries have steadily become standard. In June of 2024, I wrote about how Google's AI Overview solved the pain point of digging through sponsored results and blog posts by providing a succinct, comprehensive answer at the very top of the search results page. It keeps users from having to scroll through a dozen ads in order to find out if yogurt can be used in place of heavy cream... but it can also confidently feed users misinformation."
"But savvy internet users like you and me, dear reader, are well aware of AI's limitations and mistakes. We can brush off a hallucination here and there, do our own research in order to confirm the information that we're looking for. But what if that information is about you? What if AI spreads false information about a person rather than a recipe substitute or health recommendation?"
AI-produced summaries now appear prominently in search results and reduce time spent navigating ads and blog posts. Google's AI Overview provides succinct, comprehensive answers at the top of the page, resolving pain points for quick factual queries but also capable of confidently presenting incorrect information. Casual users can often recognize and verify hallucinations for recipes or health advice. False statements about individuals pose greater risk and demand different protections. Interfaces should clearly signal uncertainty, surface source context, and offer straightforward ways for users to correct or dispute personal information. Design must prioritize verifiability and remediation alongside convenience.
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