Senator Marsha Blackburn, a member of the Republican Party representing Tennessee, has accused Google of utilizing its artificial intelligence model Gemma to generate defamatory sexual assault allegations against her, leading to calls for the technology to be shut down. In a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital, Blackburn claimed that the AI model fabricated a sexual assault claim against her and connected it to fake news articles to discredit conservative lawmakers. Blackburn stated that the AI model’s output represents a catastrophic failure of oversight and ethical responsibility, as well as an act of defamation by a publicly accessible tool.
This incident comes on the heels of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where the issue of ‘jawboning ‘ was discussed. ‘Jawboning’ refers to the practice of government officials using indirect coercion to influence tech companies to censor speech. During the hearing, Blackburn criticized Google for AI ‘hallucinations’ that linked a conservative activist to false accusations of child abuse. She described these incidents as evidence of a consistent pattern of bias against conservatives, resulting in the spread of false narratives and the erosion of public trust.
Blackburn demanded that Google provide detailed information on how the AI model generated these false claims and what measures have been taken to prevent political or ideological bias. In her letter, she urged the shutdown of Gemma until the company could demonstrate control over its models. She emphasized that the incidents were not innocent ‘hallucinations’ but rather acts of defamation that could have serious consequences. Google did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter. The issue highlights the growing concern over the potential misuse of AI technology and its impact on public discourse and political representation.