Google’s recent launch of Hindi support for AI overviews in India, while a positive step towards greater accessibility, has encountered some setbacks. While the feature allows users to switch between English and Hindi without leaving the search page, it has faced criticism for its inconsistent performance.
Inconsistencies in Translations and Answers
Several instances have surfaced where the AI overviews struggle to provide accurate translations or contextually correct answers in Hindi. This inconsistency poses a challenge for companies like Google, operating in linguistically diverse countries like India.
Failure to Answer Simple Queries
The AI overviews’ inconsistencies are evident even with simple queries. A basic question about sugar substitutes in tea, when rephrased in Hindi, yielded no results. Literal translations of English words into Hindi have also led to confusion, such as the Hindi translation for “oily” being rendered as “sticky” in a query about summer-appropriate foods, causing misunderstanding among users.
Errors in Information
Google’s AI overviews have also been found to provide incorrect information. A query about YouTube’s ownership incorrectly stated 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 like “When is Diwali this year?”, instead offering a paragraph on last year’s Diwali and several links before finally giving the actual answer.
Struggle with Sensitive Topics
The AI overviews also faced difficulties with sensitive topics like menstruation and pregnancy. A question about family planning post-marriage resulted in a confusing Hindi paragraph suggesting couples should wait at least two years, and also stated that if someone marries around 25, they have “three years,” without specifying what this timeframe was for.
Missing Context
The AI overviews tool has also missed crucial context in its responses. For instance, 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
In response to the 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.
While Google’s AI overviews in Hindi show promise in enhancing accessibility, the current inconsistencies and errors highlight the challenges of providing accurate and contextually relevant information in diverse linguistic settings. As Google continues to develop this feature, addressing these issues will be crucial in ensuring its effectiveness and usefulness for users in India and beyond.
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