Google AI Search Fooled People into Believing Road Cameras Are Filled with Gold, Sparking Vandalism Wave

A fake claim about Flock Safety cameras being full of valuable metals has been amplified by Google's AI Overview search feature, which stated that each camera contains 1-5 grams of gold and 0.9-10.4 kg of copper, with the gold alone valued at about $650. The AI failed to verify that the camera's total weight is only 1.36 kg, and continued to spread the misinformation, provoking vandalism against these devices. The story began with scandals over Flock Safety surveillance systems, including abuse by police for personal tracking, and public discomfort with constant surveillance. In reality, gold in such electronics exists only in trace amounts, primarily in contact coatings and circuit board elements, and copper is used in tiny quantities in conductors. After the incident, Google updated AI Overview to warn users that the claims of grams of gold and kilograms of copper are a joke and a result of AI hallucinations, noting that the actual content is in micrograms. This incident is another example of generative AI repeating and spreading false facts without basic plausibility checks, as the stated copper mass alone exceeded the entire device's weight. The number of damaged cameras remains undisclosed, though people spread fake news even without AI, like burning cell towers in 2020, but someone must be blamed.