Ashley MacIsaac bizarrely had a concert cancelled due to a Google AI review. The singer-songwriter was due to perform in Canada before falsely being identified as a sex offender by the AI system.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The concert was due to take place at the Sipekne'katik First Nation in Nova Scotia, Canada. However, the show was ultimately called off after the AI claimed he had been convicted of a series of offences, including sexual assault.
During an interview with The Canadian Press, MacIsaac gave his thoughts on the situation and how things could have taken a drastic turn.
"If a lawyer wants to take this on (for free) ... I would stand up because I'm not the first and I'm sure I won't be the last," MacIsaac said. ""I could have been at a border and put in jail. So something has to be figured out as far as what the AI companies are responsible for ... and what they can prevent."
A spokesperson for Google Canada has since released a statement about the issue.
"When issues arise - like if our features misinterpret web content or miss some context - we use those examples to improve our systems, and may take action under our policies".
Sipekne'Katik First Nation Has Apologised to Ashley MacIsaac
Sipekne'katik First Nation has released an apology to MacIsaac following his ordeal.
"We deeply regret the harm this caused to your reputation and livelihood," the message says. "Chief and council value your artistry, contribution to the cultural life of the Maritimes, and your commitment to reconciliation."
When speaking with CBC Canada, MacIsaac said he is looking forward to rescheduling the concert, but wasn't in a rush to get a date set in stone.
"I don't feel comfortable about going there right now because I don't think the proper information can be disseminated within a week. It's seen so many shares," he said. "I didn't want to bring any attention negatively to the community."
Ashley Macisaac's Situation Is a Cautionary Tale
AI is evolving faster than most of us can keep up. Businesses are scaling their use to cut costs and streamline their processes. Unfortunately, AI is still in its infancy and prone to errors. In this instance, the mistake was pretty egregious.
Fortunately, MacIsaac wasn't significantly impacted by the false information.
