Google AI summaries will clarify any nonsensical phrase you invent.

Google’s AI Overviews sometimes behave like a misguided traveler too proud to ask for help: it prefers to confidently assert incorrect information rather than admit uncertainty. This trend has caught the attention of many online, who have discovered that asking Google about any fabricated idiom—any random, nonsensical saying can often lead to Google AI Overviews providing a fabricated meaning. This tendency isn’t surprising, as AI has demonstrated a tendency to hallucinate or invent details when faced with insufficient data. It’s amusing to observe how Google’s AI interprets absurd phrases like “You can’t lick a badger twice.” On X, SEO expert Lily Ray coined the term “AI-splaining” to describe this behavior.

I also decided to explore this “make up an idiom” trend. For one phrase—”don’t give me homemade ketchup and tell me it’s the good stuff”—the response was “AI Overview is not available for this search.” However, my next made-up phrase—”you can’t shake hands with an old bear”—received a different answer. Apparently, Google’s AI interprets this saying to imply that the “old bear” refers to an untrustworthy individual.

In this case, the amusing aspect of Google AI Overview’s creativity is evident. In other situations—such as misrepresenting the NFL’s overtime rules—it can be relatively harmless. Initially, the AI even advised users to eat rocks and put glue on pizza. Yet, some examples of AI hallucinations are nothing to smile about. Google does caution users that AI Overviews may provide incorrect information, even though it often appears at the top of many search results. So, as the age-old saying goes: Be cautious with AI search, for what you see may not always be accurate.

Topics
Artificial Intelligence
Google