Google’s Gemini and the hallucination problem plaguing AI assistants

Generative AI assistants like Google’s Gemini face a fundamental flaw that undermines their effectiveness as personal assistants: they occasionally present false information as fact. As Google phases out its traditional Assistant in favor of Gemini in 2025, this transition raises important questions about whether AI systems prone to hallucinations should be trusted with everyday assistance tasks, even as their conversational capabilities continue to improve.

The big picture: Despite technical advancements in generative AI, the non-deterministic nature of these systems makes them inherently prone to fabricating information, which creates significant reliability issues for assistant applications.

• These AI models work by predicting the most plausible next token in a sequence to build responses, which can sometimes result in convincing but entirely fictional outputs.
• Even as these systems become increasingly accurate, the occasional hallucination can seriously impact users who rely on them for daily tasks.

Why this matters: Google’s aggressive integration of generative AI across its product ecosystem means users are being pushed toward potentially less reliable assistant technology.

• The replacement of the more deterministic Google Assistant with Gemini represents a fundamental shift in how digital assistants function.
• When assistants occasionally provide false information with confidence, it undermines user trust in critical daily interactions.

Key examples: Recent high-profile AI hallucinations demonstrate the persistent nature of this problem.

• The iPhone incorrectly declared Luigi Mangione dead in a generated response.
• Google’s AI recommended putting glue on pizza, illustrating how these systems can confidently provide absurd information.

Behind the technology: The core design of large language models makes eliminating hallucinations particularly challenging.

• Unlike traditional assistants that relied on more predictable programming, generative AI produces varied responses even to identical prompts.
• Companies like Google and Apple are working to reduce hallucinations, but the fundamental architecture of these models suggests this problem may never be completely solved.

Between the lines: Google’s rapid replacement of Assistant with Gemini reflects the company’s determination to incorporate generative AI throughout its product lineup, potentially prioritizing technological advancement over consistent reliability.

• The shift demonstrates how tech companies are racing to implement generative AI regardless of whether it represents a functional improvement for all use cases.