Google pauses Gemini’s image tool following backlash

Google’s Gemini recently found itself on the receiving end of backlash for its inability to generate images of white people

“Three weeks ago, we launched a new image generation feature for the Gemini conversational app (formerly known as Bard), which included the ability to create images of people. It’s clear that this feature missed the mark. Some of the images generated are inaccurate or even offensive. We’re grateful for users’ feedback and are sorry the feature didn't work well,” wrote Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President in a blog. 

The tech giant has temporarily paused the image generation of people in Gemini while it works on an improved version.

Recently, there were Gemini-generated images circulating on social media that prompted widespread mockery and outrage. Some users even accused Google of being “woke” to the detriment of truth or accuracy. Among the images to attract criticism were a depiction of four Swedish women, none of whom were white, and scenes of Black and Asian Nazi soldiers. Some users have also claimed that the tool refuses to create images of white people at all, regardless of the input.

“It’s embarrassingly hard to get Google Gemini to acknowledge that white people exist,” Debarghya Das, the founding engineer of enterprise search startup Glean, said in a post on X accompanied by a number of images generated by Gemini.

It's embarrassingly hard to get Google Gemini to acknowledge that white people exist pic.twitter.com/4lkhD7p5nR

— Deedy (@debarghya_das) February 20, 2024

Image generation by Gemini faced a faux pas not just on racial, but also on the cultural context. For instance, another X user shared that on searching for an image of a "Bitcoiner eating a steak" and it generated a Hindu woman eating beef. “I guess this is Google trying to be culturally sensitive? Btw, Hindus can obviously be Bitcoiners, but cows are considered sacred, so they likely wouldn't be eating a steak,” he further wrote. 

I asked Google Gemini to generate an image of a "Bitcoiner eating a steak" and it gave me a *hindu* woman eating *beef*. I guess this is Google trying to be culturally sensitive? ? pic.twitter.com/EuECohu2ov

— Mike In Space (@mikeinspace) February 21, 2024