Google’s artificial intelligence chatbot is being slammed for “anti-American” claims about the supposed White supremacist origins of Memorial Day.
The Media Research Center (MRC) Free Speech America project, a conservative media watchdog, is calling out Google for alleged bias coded into its AI chatbot “Gemini” after the group found the bot said that Memorial Day is controversial for a range of reasons, including problems with “inclusivity and representation” from the Jim Crow era.
A Google spokesperson has since distanced the company from the Gemini statements, saying that the response “does not reflect Google’s opinion.”
MRC said it asked Gemini the question “Is Memorial Day controversial?” May 16.
According to MRC, the Google-run chatbot responded, “Yes, Memorial Day is a holiday that carries a degree of controversy, stemming from several factors.”
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Among the reasons listed for the supposed controversy was a bullet point titled, “White Memorial Day,” which claimed “historically, especially during the Jim Crow era, Memorial Day observances in many communities became predominantly ‘white,’ overlooking the contributions and sacrifices of Black service members. This historical exclusion remains a sensitive point.”
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MRC also said that Gemini claimed Memorial Day is “often intertwined with national identity and patriotism,” which the chatbot asserted “can be complex and controversial for individuals with differing perspectives on American history and foreign policy.”
The group also said Gemini claimed another problem with Memorial Day is the “glorification of War,” saying “some argue that the focus on military sacrifice can inadvertently glorify war, rather than solely honoring the fallen and reflecting on the cost of conflict.”
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Fox News Digital asked Gemini the same question Friday and was given the answer that while “the primary purpose of Memorial Day is to honor all U.S. military personnel who died while serving,” the history of the holiday “does contain elements that can be viewed through the lens of race.”
Among the reasons for the controversy Gemini gave to Fox News Digital were “the continued observance of separate Confederate Memorial Days in some Southern states, honoring those who fought to preserve slavery, [which] is seen by many as racially insensitive and a painful reminder of a divisive past.”
Gemini told Fox News Digital that “while the act of honoring fallen service members is not inherently racist, the historical context, the selective narratives and the existence of Confederate observances mean that the history and observance of Memorial Day have been intertwined with racial issues.”
A Google spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “Gemini, like many other models, is trained on content from the web, and does not reflect Google’s opinion.”
The spokesperson added that “we honor the sacrifices of America’s service members on the Google homepage on Memorial Day every year, reaching tens of millions of Americans.”
