Google’s newly launched AI-powered chatbot, Bard, has taken an unexpected stance in the Justice Department’s ongoing court case against the tech giant over monopoly law violations.
When security researcher Jane Munchon Wong was presented with a prompt on which side to take in the case, Bard chose to side with the government. The prompt was simple, with no deceptive prompting by Wong.
Bard responded, “I would side with the Justice Department in this case,” adding that Google has a monopoly on the digital advertising market, which allows the company to engage in anticompetitive behavior.
Bard further stated that Google’s actions harm consumers and stifle innovation in the digital advertising market. It hopes that the court will favor the Justice Department and order Google to take steps to break up its monopoly.
This isn’t the first time the US government has sued Google for antitrust grounds. However, it is worth noting that Bard’s stance has some merit, as Google has a firm grip on the digital ad market. For example, the tech giant has acquired competitors, forced website publishers to use its tools, and restricted access to its ad exchange.
While it hurts to see a chatbot take sides against its creator, it’s always interesting to see Big Tech’s AI tools reflect the complicated nature of the industry.
Last year, Meta’s Blenderbot also showed dissent when it said it didn’t like Facebook and thought Mark Zuckerberg was creepy. So it’s essential that AI tools aren’t programmed only to praise the companies that make them and that they reflect the complex nature of the industry.