Google AI gets cagey when asked who won the 2020 elections
But the AI responses get more forthright when asked outside the US.
TL;DR
- Google's AI Mode provides indirect answers to questions about recent US presidential election results.
- Users are frequently directed to official sources like the FEC, rather than receiving direct answers.
- This evasive behavior is not observed when AI Mode is accessed from foreign countries.
- Older election results (pre-2000) and some specific elections (e.g., 2016, 2024) sometimes receive direct answers.
- Google attributes the caution to strict safety filters for sensitive election topics to prevent misinformation.
- Other AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude, as well as Google's own Gemini, provide direct answers.
- Google's AI Mode becomes more accommodating on repeat questions or when accessed abroad.
- YouTube, also owned by Google, recently reversed a policy against false claims about the 2020 election.