Introduction to Google’s AI Interpretation
Contrary to the computer science truism of "garbage in, garbage out", Google here is taking in some garbage and spitting out… well, a workable interpretation of garbage, at the very least.
Understanding the Thought Process
Google’s AI Overview even goes into more detail explaining its thought process. "Lick" here means to "trick or deceive" someone, it says, a bit of a stretch from the dictionary definition of lick as "comprehensively defeat," but probably close enough for an idiom (and a plausible iteration of the idiom, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me…"). Google also explains that the badger part of the phrase "likely originates from the historical sport of badger baiting," a practice I was sure Google was hallucinating until I looked it up and found it was real.
Examples of Interpretation
I found plenty of other examples where Google’s AI derived more meaning than the original requester’s gibberish probably deserved. Google interprets the phrase "dream makes the steam" as an almost poetic statement about imagination powering innovation. The line "you can’t humble a tortoise" similarly gets interpreted as a statement about the difficulty of intimidating "someone with a strong, steady, unwavering character (like a tortoise)."
It took me 15 seconds to make up this saying but now I think it kind of works!
Credit:
Kyle Orland / Google
Finding Connections
Google also often finds connections that the original nonsense idiom creators likely didn’t intend. For instance, Google could link the made-up idiom "A deft cat always rings the bell" to the real concept of belling the cat. And in attempting to interpret the nonsense phrase "two cats are better than grapes," the AI Overview correctly notes that grapes can be potentially toxic to cats.
Brimming with Confidence
Even when Google’s AI Overview works hard to make the best of a bad prompt, I can still understand why the responses rub a lot of users the wrong way. A lot of the problem, I think, has to do with the LLM’s unearned confident tone, which pretends that any made-up idiom is a common saying with a well-established and authoritative meaning.
Conclusion
Google’s AI Overview is a powerful tool that can interpret and make sense of even the most nonsensical phrases. While its confident tone may sometimes be off-putting, the tool’s ability to find connections and derive meaning from gibberish is undeniably impressive. As AI technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Google’s AI Overview improves and becomes even more effective at interpreting language.
FAQs
Q: What is Google’s AI Overview?
A: Google’s AI Overview is a tool that uses artificial intelligence to interpret and understand language.
Q: Can Google’s AI Overview understand nonsensical phrases?
A: Yes, Google’s AI Overview can interpret and make sense of even the most nonsensical phrases.
Q: Why does Google’s AI Overview sometimes seem overconfident?
A: Google’s AI Overview’s confident tone may be due to its programming, which is designed to provide authoritative and confident responses.
Q: Can Google’s AI Overview find connections between unrelated concepts?
A: Yes, Google’s AI Overview can often find connections between unrelated concepts, even if the original creators of the phrase did not intend them.
