Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has lifted its restrictions on election-related queries for its Meta AI chatbot following the completion of India’s election process. This means that users can now search for information on India’s election results, politicians, and officeholders using the chatbot. TechCrunch was able to confirm that Meta AI provided answers regarding election results, political figures, and officeholders. However, Meta has not released an official statement regarding the removal of these restrictions.
Initially, Meta implemented these restrictions when the election in India began in April. The chatbot would direct users to the Election Commission’s website when asked about politicians, candidates, officeholders, and political party information. At the time, a spokesperson for Meta acknowledged that their AI system may not always provide the intended response and mentioned ongoing updates and improvements to their models.
It is important to note that Meta’s AI chatbot is still in the testing phase in India and is only accessible by a limited number of users on WhatsApp and Instagram.
On the other hand, Google has launched its Gemini AI app for Android in India, supporting nine local languages. However, Google has chosen to maintain its global policy of restricting election-related queries. A spokesperson for Google confirmed that these limits are applied globally and that users will be directed to Google Search for such queries. These restrictions were initially implemented earlier this year for any global market where elections were taking place. It remains unclear when Google will lift these restrictions, especially in countries where elections have been completed and new governments have assumed power.
The contrasting approaches between Meta and Google highlight their differing strategies when it comes to chatbots answering political queries. While Meta temporarily restricted these queries during the election period, Google continues to block election-related queries worldwide. It is uncertain if this decision is related to Google’s AI facing challenges throughout the year.
Other chatbots like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot take a mixed approach. TechCrunch discovered that these bots do not answer specific questions regarding election winners. However, they are able to fetch information from the web when asked about officeholders and politicians.
Companies developing AI tools face scrutiny for potential biases and misinformation in their outputs. As they expand their AI applications into more regions, these companies aim to avoid becoming entangled in political controversies. Therefore, they must navigate the challenges of providing accurate and unbiased information while developing their AI systems.
