Google Issues Apology Over Offensive Bafta Awards Alert With Racial Slur

Technology giant Google has issued a formal apology after its news app sent a highly offensive mobile notification related to this year's Bafta film awards. The alert, which popped up on users' phones, controversially prompted people to "see more" about a racial slur.

The incident originated from the Bafta awards ceremony itself. During the event, while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage, a member of the audience with Tourette's syndrome used the slur as part of an involuntary tic. Tourette's is a neurological condition that causes people to make involuntary sounds and movements.

Following the news alert, many people on social media quickly blamed Google's generative AI for the mistake. However, the company clarified this was not the case. A Google spokesperson explained that the error was due to a <u>failure within its safety features</u> for push notifications. Essentially, Google's automated system detected the offensive word being used frequently in online articles covering the ceremony and mistakenly identified it as a key topic, which it then used in the alert.

"We're deeply sorry for this mistake," a Google spokesperson stated. "We've removed the offensive notification and are working to prevent this from happening again." The company admitted the incident "shouldn't have happened" and that it is working to improve the safety checks that should have blocked the word.

Online creator Danny Price first highlighted the issue on Instagram, expressing his shock. "What an interesting Black History month this has turned out to be," he wrote, referencing the annual observance in the United States.

Following the incident at the ceremony, apologies were issued from multiple organisations.

Google stated on Tuesday that the notification was seen by only a small number of users and was removed quickly. However, the event has sparked a wider conversation about the safeguards in place for automated news delivery.

News Analysis Report

This incident shines a harsh light on the potential dangers of our increasing reliance on automated systems for curating and delivering news. While algorithms can process information at an incredible speed, they lack human context, nuance, and ethical judgment. Google's system failed to distinguish between reporting on an offensive event and promoting offensive language. For millions of users in Bangladesh and around the world who rely on such platforms for information, this failure erodes trust and shows how easily automated tools can amplify harm if not governed by strict and intelligent human oversight.

Our Opinion

This error by Google serves as a critical wake-up call for all tech companies. The focus should not just be on creating faster and more efficient algorithms, but on building more responsible and ethically-aware systems. Technology that interacts with the public, especially in delivering sensitive news, requires robust safeguards and, crucially, a layer of human review to prevent such deeply offensive mistakes. It is a reminder that automation must always serve human values, not override them.

Source