It's interesting they did this, because it's not consistent with their customer service on their ad platform. For the most part it's difficult to contact a real person at Google. More than a few people became so frustrated they sued them just to get the tech giant to respond.
While Google's users usually don't notice, Google's algorithms for just about everything besides searching are deficient. The abuse and reporting system is almost laughably easy to convince to nuke competitors content off search results. Or people. Like everyone else, it is simply a vote counter. The "winner" receives a boot. But that's not really exceptional. Where Google distinguishes itself is in how heavily it relies on heuristics and machine learning.
Most people outside the field think it must be good because it sounds very smart and Google "just works". What they don't see is how legitimate content is silently deranked based on keywords or association with sites that have been deranked. The AI isn't audited. It can't be, because nobody can get ahold of anyone at the tech giant to tell them. I've read many, many security analysis' by Google. It's a funny thing: They never consider if Google itself might be the security problem. That's usually one of the first things a competent security analyst asks: "Is it our own processes that might be creating vulnerability?"
Of course people only hear about new and "cool" applications of AI. Nobody cares about the nuts and bolts. Doubly so when the corporate cultures of these businesses are so youth-centric there's nobody old enough in their organizations to know where the landmines are. Older people have seen enough failure and fucking up to avoid a lot of it. They're also more reactive to feedback from others, though it's still something the industry is deficient in at all levels of expertise to an abnormal degree. Between culture and attitude, it's created an invisible crisis in the field. It's also giving newcomers to the field unrealistic expectations. A lot of people who enter the field leave a couple years later when they find out most of our field is less cutting edge and more fire axe. The majority of us clean up the messes the technology leaves - or the people who use it. Failure is the norm; It's success that's aberrant.
This disconnect between action and consequence has created a culture of arrogance and overconfidence. It must have been a very obvious exploit for them to act. Or, more likely, someone threatened to sue. They claim they'll be creating "new safeguards". I'd bet dollars to donuts it'll be some half baked AI that worked in the lab. But the moment it goes into production it'll fall flat on its face. That's common to most IT projects -- but the managers are generally cognizant of the failure, even if action isn't taken. It seems to be the trend lately for Facebook, fistfuls of startups, etc., to not be aware, or admit, to a problem. They are often actively hostile to the possibility. I recall awhile back Zuckerberg claiming "Young people are just smarter", even as the dumpster fire that was his website was prompting legislators in a dozen countries to consider legislation and programs aimed at limiting exposure. It is causing psychological disorders in youth -- including stress, anxiety, addiction. It's even being linked to an increased risk of suicide and an epidemic of "cyber bullying". The disconnect is palpable -- Google and Facebook's corporate culture has much in common, but they have good company. Many companies try to emulate those two.
It's a little off-topic -- but this is also why we have programs like the H1-B visa program. Those of us on the front line often criticize it because there's plenty of IT talent right here at home. That's true, but a lot of that talent got a good look at the shitshow that is this industry and left. Rather than improve industry practices and reforming culture, they just turn to foreign labor to keep prices low. They can't get enough kids ignorant of the realities of the field to work long hours for peanuts, subsisting largely on the false promises of riches and living on the edge.
The bottom line is, Google (and many others) isn't a beacon of success, but rather a lighthouse warning us to keep away from a veritable charybdis of poor judgement and toxic culture. We shouldn't be trying to emulate it, but the appearance of success is often so seductive people don't ask what it cost. Like a rip tide, most people don't see it until it's too late.
