The Rush to AI: How Botched Implementations Damage Brands

In the race to integrate AI into their products, tech giants like Google and Apple have faced backlash on what many people thought were botched implementations. Recent examples include Google’s AI search summaries, Apple’s notification summaries, and Apple’s Image Playground. These missteps not only undermine the user experience but also erode trust in these brands. There's an argument that in 2023 following ChatGPT's rapid rise, these companies were caught off-guard and seen as behind the curve. There was huge investor pressure on companies to have AI, any AI, in their products which piled on the pressure. And that pressure to ship something, anything might have caused these botched AI implementations.

Google’s AI Search Summaries: A Threat to Accuracy

Google’s brand is built on providing fast and accurate search results. However, the introduction of AI search summaries has raised concerns among users and publishers alike. These summaries often appear at the top of search results, potentially reducing traffic to original content creators and sometimes providing inaccurate information.

For example, the search summary suggested using non-toxic glue to sauce to stop cheese sliding off pizza, or saying that geologists recommend eating one small rock a day. PSA : Don't do either of these things and Google removed both references. In these instances, Google's AI summary scraped satirical sites like the Onion or fan sites that talked about the possibility of a sequel to Disney's Encanto.

You can say that these are teething problems and Google's AI summaries will only get better. People can also point out how ChatGPT hallucinated in the beginning. But Google has built their brand on accurate and fast search results. People are not going to give Google the same latitude that they gave ChatGPT in the beginning. And this comes down to how AI could help or damage a brand.

Apple’s Notification Summaries

Another example is Apple which has a brand for good design and user-friendly interfaces. However, its AI-powered notification summaries have been criticized for generating incorrect or misleading information, leading to distrust among users and news outlets.

The most public mistakes happened with summaries of the BBC reporting. People posted screenshots of Apple's summaries of BBC articles mistakenly stating that murder suspect Luigi Mangione had shot himself, contradicting the actual BBC reporting. There were other screenshots of the summary showing that the Luke Littler had won the PDC World Darts Championship hours before the match began. Needless to say, the BBC went to town on this and Apple had to climb down with an iOS update that suspended some of these news summaries.

These mistakes spring from Apple Intelligence trying to summarise several headlines instead of the actual stories. I have no doubt the summaries will only get better but again this botched implementation hurts a brand that prides itself on not being first, but taking time to be the best.

Apple’s Image Playground

Another poor implementation is Apple’s Image Playground, intended to showcase AI creativity. But it has been met with disappointment due to its inability to produce realistic images. This is what it produced for the prompt "me running away from a tornado and being scared"

This laughably bad product raises questions about Apple’s ability to innovate effectively in the AI space with its preference for using on-device AI. This preference is understandable given that Apple wants to sell iPhones but again it hurts a brand that prides itself on good design.

Deepseek reset?

While the allure of AI is undeniable, companies must prioritize thoughtful integration over hasty deployment. The recent example of Deepseek, which shows that significant capital investment does not guarantee AI dominance, might offer some respite from the pressure to rush into AI. However, it’s unlikely that this will slow the pace of AI adoption significantly.

In conclusion, the botched AI implementations by Google and Apple serve as cautionary tales. They highlight the importance of balancing innovation with reliability and user trust. As AI continues to evolve, companies must adopt a more considered approach to its integration, focusing on enhancing user experiences rather than merely checking the AI box.

Image thumbnail generated using ChatGPT with this prompt "Create an image of a futuristic cityscape with neon lights. In the foreground, depict a stylized robot or a car with an AI symbol (like a brain or a circuit board) on it. The robot or car should be shown taking a wrong turn, with a ‘detour’ or ‘wrong way’ sign nearby. Use a color scheme that contrasts between the bright city lights and darker tones for the wrong turn. Incorporate glitch effects or broken lines to suggest confusion or error."