Google sent an AI-generated push alert that included a racial slur

Source: Engadget

Incident Overview

Google sent out an AI‑generated news alert that included the N‑word, according to reporting by Deadline. The push notification featured a link to a story by The Hollywood Reporter about an incident at the recent BAFTA Film Awards. The offensive word appeared in the notification under the link.

The issue was first spotted by Instagram user Danny Price, who shared a screenshot with the caption:

“what an interesting Black History Month this has turned out to be.”

Google has since apologized, stating that it has removed the offensive notification and is working to prevent this from happening again.

Background on the BAFTA Incident

The BAFTA incident involved an audience member with Tourette syndrome who shouted the N‑word when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage to present an award. Tourette‑syndrome activist John Davidson, who made the comment, said he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intention or to carry any meaning.”

The incident sparked outrage and renewed discussion about the realities of living with vocal tics.

Reactions

“Asking for more grace for the person who shouted a racist slur instead of for Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, who had to push through being embarrassed in front of their peers.
But that’s often the expectation — that Black people are just supposed to be ok with being… ”
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill), February 23 2026

AI Push Notification Errors

AI‑generated alerts have produced high‑profile mistakes before. Apple, for example, scrapped its own AI push‑notification system last year after it mistakenly told readers that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

Source

This article originally appeared on Engadget: