Australia, blogging, Environment, History & Traditions

When Google Gets it Wrong

Forestwood

Technology is becoming marvellously intuitive. After booking a holiday with friends, we were surprised to discover Google had already added the dates and location to our Gmail calenders, in the blink of our eye once we confirmed the booking.

Convenient – if a little scary.

But smart technology can and does often make mistakes. We all know how digital images and news can be ‘enhanced,’ for nefarious activities.

Google Maps Fail

Years ago, when GPS navigation was in its infancy, Google Maps directed me to drive off the edge of a steep cliff, insisting that a road existed, only it didn’t. Naturally, I continued on the ‘real’ road, forcing the app to “recalculate [the] route.”

When the car repeated its deranged vocal message insisting I drive off the edge of the cliff, I stopped the car and asked a local resident tending her garden for directions. This was a much safer option!

Where am I

Google Lens

Google Lens has also had difficulty identifying certain native Australian plants. Understandably, their unique weird shapes and forms confuse the megalithic search engine. This is called Banksia Giant Candles and once flourished in my garden.

Australian native plant cone and leaves - Banksia giant candles

However, I was quite surprised at Google, while looking at the following photo from yesterday.

It was taken at one of Australia’s biggest traditions, the soldier memorial ceremonies on April 25th, otherwise known as Anzac Day.

You see, each year, I write a post about Anzac Day and talk about the history, significance, various local ceremonies or Anzac Day Cookie recipes. This year, I didn’t want to repeat the same information over again and wasn’t even going to write at all, but then, well, Google did have to go loco on me.

And I had to say something!

As I glanced at the following photograph, my finger accidentally grazed/hovered close enough to ‘Google Lens,’ for a search listing to engage.

Up popped results of the photograph’s location, suggesting it was Cascais beach, Portugal, The Channel Islands or La Greve du Portieux, which I suspected was in France. Further investigation revealed that La Greve du Portieux was a bed of breakfast on the Eastern coast of France.

Seriously?


I admit, there is a association between Anzacs soldier in WWI and France, but given that location was enabled on the photograph, it was easy to detect to all and sundry that the photo referred to Redcliffe, a beach in Australia!

But it was nice to know that if I closed my eyes to the architecture, I could be on a French beach, or a  bed and breakfast on the coast of France!

This begs the question:

Have you ever felt discombobulated with a Google Search or Google Lens result?

Has Google ever led you astray?

Does my photograph remind you of France or just any old beach at sunrise?

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Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

90 thoughts on “When Google Gets it Wrong”

  1. Google maps have often lead us astray on less frequented or hilly routs. Even in city traffic it has taken us on under construction areas which are barely passable

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    1. I have found Google maps more reliable of late, but not infallible. Sounds like there is still much more work to be done in perfecting the rural areas? And in updating the information more frequently? Many people here have become so reliant on GPS navigation, they no longer notice landmarks and younger people find it difficult to explain directions without using Google maps. Is that your experience, Sadje?

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  2. They do say Google ā€œlistensā€ to you. Just recently I was discussing with my daughter in law about her old catā€™s life span. When opening the iPad up popped a number of ads relating to cats. I have never googled about cats, I donā€™t have one. So was this just a coincidence? šŸ¤”

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      2. Absolutely correct. Google is great for sourcing info. You can find almost anything there. But it isn’t infalible, so it is good to be aware of us failings.

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      3. Absolutely correct. Google is great for sourcing info. You can find almost anything there. But it isn’t infallible, so it is good to be aware of the failings.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. One of the very few things I like about Google and its directions is how people follow them slavishly, sometimes at their peril. A while back, a couple going to a boat tour here, followed Google or GPS down a boat ramp and into the water! If this seems extreme, a couple of weeks later, someone else did the exact same thing. Google is fallible. They just don’t like to admit it.

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    1. Stepping into the water is crazy, Graham! I wonder if they would have driven off ‘my’ cliff had Google instructed them to do so?
      I also wonder why more of us don’t question those directions before following them in blind faith. Particularly now with AI in the mix of technology. People seem too trusting of technology. But then, I might just be a sceptic….

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      1. They didn’t step into the water, they drove their rentals cars into it. Both cars sank, but noā€‚one was hurt! Where I work, there’s no physical address, just a mailing address. We send out directions but people get lost all the time and the different map apps take them to different places!

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      2. Goodness, how could you be so stupid to drive into water. That is so crazy!
        I can imagine the confusion regarding your workplace addy. I feel a bit sorry for the customers. Haha.

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  5. Google maps directs people to The Holler, leading to a dirt road, even more isolated than we are. They always call on their cell phones when they are completely lost, on a street that doesn’t exist. I

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  6. My husband uses a plant ID App and it’s not always very effective, but then there are so many variations that I’m not surprised.ā€‚GPS ought to be more reliable.

    Anzac Day coincides with our Liberation Day here in Portugal, and I forget yours every year until I see it posted.ā€‚This year we were celebrating 50 years of freedom since the end of Salazar’s dictatorship.

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      1. There’s a ceremonial raising of the national flag and marching bands in various towns throughout the country, Amanda. The carnation is the symbol of this quiet revolution and they decorate towns and villages. The army usually display a carnation in the muzzle of a gun.

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  7. Many peopleā€™s GPS systems, including Google, directs drivers up a back road to reach our building. Itā€™s incorrect as we can only be reached on foot vis this route. Anyone visiting first the first time is told to ignore these directions and follow ours. Weā€™ve had similar instances on Mount Faron in Toulon.

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  11. When we lived in France we were in a sort of Bermuda Triangle….the GPS was fine until the nearest town and then it went haywire. We used to have to give ‘manual’ directions which was much easier in the Christmas period when houses were decorated…it was turn left at the illuminated windmill, then left again at the house with Santas abseiling down the walls….didn’t lose a soul.

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    1. How crazy that the GPS didn’t know the town area! An abseiling Santa and lit windmill are highly distinctive and easily memorable landmarks. Perhaps Google could learn something from that. Such as adding options to narrate significant landmarks!

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      2. In many cases, apple is more reliable. And I say that as an android user. It is only the built in closed system that forces you to upgrade frequently within the system that I dislike.

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  14. Google maps are not reliable.ā€‚It shows our street intersecting with a different street even though this street has been here for 25 years.ā€‚I use it but with a grain of salt.ā€‚More like a guideline, not a rule.ā€‚

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    1. Technology is but a tool and sometimes a blunt saw! Aka next to useless. One wonders why it got your street wrong in the first place! How many others are like this?

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  15. A very interesting question and a great follow-up conversation!! The reliance on Google Maps has steadily increased over the years due to its convenience and accuracy in providing directions, especially in high traffic areas. However, concerns about privacy and data collection have led to skepticism among users. Despite these reservations there have been continuous improvements in technology and security measures. Perhaps (and this is really a perhaps) , trust in Google Maps may increase in the future as users become more comfortable with the platform’s features and safeguards.

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    1. My readers are fantastic at creating an interesting conversation, Rebecca!
      When Alexia or Siri or whoever is ‘always listening’, it does fuel suspicions about technology.
      AI is and should only ever be a tool, not the total solution. I think we should never abrogate our complete responsibility for decisions to technology. Humans like to take the easy road and Google Maps or Apple Maps or Siri is much easier than examining maps. In doing so, we are not exercising the spatial center in our brain. Like anything if it’s not used, that capacity wastes away. I see this in customer service, IT and many instances with the use of AI. That is my main concern for the future plus, of course the current errors that exist, some of which don’t seem to be a priority to fix, as some other bloggers have indicated.

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  17. I use Google often, but took me many years (literally) to learn how to word my search question.ā€ƒEven today, it’s a hit or miss affair.

    The only obvious problem I have is that my Australian postcode belongs to 2 suburbs of Melbourne, so I’ve learned not to just type my postcode, but fill in the suburb name first.

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    1. Ah yes, my postcode covers three suburbs but usually the websites I use have a drop down to help select the correct suburb. But I understand your frustration.
      And yes salient keywords are vital in narrowing down google search listings.

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  18. Before I had a ‘smart’ phone I had a Garmen GPS. I was trialing it on a journey well known to me. When it told me to turn right and cross a concrete barrier and to drive into the Brisbane River I knew not to follow instructions! Bring back the good old street directory!

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    1. Oh no. One wonders why it would suggest that. Perhaps it hadn’t been updated?
      I still prefer to use a street directory or a map. It helps me see the big picture!

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  19. Perhaps we expect too much? The fact is that ‘google’ is only as good as the information humans feed it. That’s probably why it didn’t recognise the bansia candles – some Aussie didn’t share it with Google! When traveling I rely on Google Translate but laugh when it mangles idiomatic languages like Mandarin. I use to work with researchers enabling auto-translations & they explained to me that while the tech exists, the challenge then was building the vast amounts of data & semantics. I love my GPS and mapping apps, but still use common sense when driving šŸ˜‰

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    1. Hi Sandy, You are right, we do expect technology to be perfect, because often with calculations it is! But roads are a living network that are altered frequently and can only go on the information we feed it, although I am dubious about the cliff road and the road that goes on the boat ramp into the sea, that Graham mentioned. No one would have fed it that information. I suspect aerial photography may have been used and it couldn’t distinguish the difference between a goat track off a cliff and a paved road? Or a boat ramp and a road? I don’t know though. Not my field. I think, as I mentioned above, technology is a tool and we need to remember that, not rely on it too much. Your suggestion to invoke common sense when using tech tools, is just that – common sense! I don’ t know why many don’t use or have it…..

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  20. I’ve had a lot of misses with Google Maps, like restaurants or shops that are already permanently closed, or wrong business hours. But what stands out was when my friend and I were driving to my sister’s and we guided through aā€‚non-paved route which later on turned out to be a dead end because it led to a river so we turned around and sped back to the highway in no time. Felt like a scary movie.

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    1. Oh going down a no through road to a river sounds just like a horror movie! Glad you got out of there fast! And I agree – the business hours information on websites is often wrong. Particularly relating to smaller cafes that close down. I am unsure why that is particularly problematic. Does noone bother to take down the website or advise the hosting service? Of course if they rely on Google spiders to find things – it takes time. It may not be economic for companies and Isp’s to focus on correcting misinformation and old information?

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  21. Ive definitely been led astray by google maps, but not to the edge of a cliff! We did get lost in an Australian reserve going round and round in circles for an hour! Google lens does bring up some odd results too, I think itā€™s only good when the object is quite specific.

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  22. I think you may be right about Google lens! It needs to be very specific! And even then, it is still inaccurate. AI should help Google Lens to improve. That is one area when AI can be used in a positive way.ā€‚

    Getting lost in that reserve sounds frustrating. It sort of happens like that sometimes, recalculating, sending you back on itself. Back in the day, we had scraps of paper with L,r, l,l, or mud maps with landmarks to direct us. Those directions were more current but people still got lost.

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  23. I think it was MapQuest (pre most of the Google toys) that tried to add an hour and a half to a short trip because it insisted the state highway I drove didn’t exist. But at least it didn’t try to make me drive off a cliff.

    With all that is available to it, Google couldn’t find a stock photo of somewhere actually in New Zealand/Australia to represent Anzac day?

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    1. Yes it is surprising that the Google lens device couldn’t work out I was in Australia. Clearly something that they haven’t yet linked, or perhaps can’t because of Privacy concerns? They seem to have so much info that is linked everywhere but not location on the lens app. Hmmm.
      Mapquest sounds just as mad insisting you take the long way home!

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      1. I’ve heard about people whose GPS led them out into the middle of Death Valley. Without common sense, they kept following it along and, I think, a few even died in the desert.

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      3. Death Valley is notoriously dangerous. From the Wikipedia entry on Death by GPS

        TheĀ National Park ServiceĀ has posted the following message on the Directions & Transportation page of the officialĀ Death Valley ParkĀ website:

        Using GPS Navigation

        GPS Navigation to remote locations like Death Valley are notoriously unreliable. Numerous travelers have been directed to the wrong location or even dead-end or closed roads. Travelers should always carry up-to-date road maps to check the accuracy of GPS directions.

        DO NOT DEPEND ONLY ON YOUR VEHICLE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM.

        Also found this interesting article about death by gps

        https://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/05/death-by-gps/

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      5. That Gps could have psychological changes to our brains is a huge concern. But then perhaps maps did that when we first used them too?

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  24. I havenā€™t had too many run-ins with Google, but we have certainly had some strange directions from our carā€™s GPS. The weirdest was on a trip back to Oslo through southern Sweden and (I think there may have been a solar flare or some other strange disruption) ā€œthe ladyā€ (as I call her) had us mapped out in the ocean, driving in circles when, in fact, we were on the main highway. (I had to laugh when Google insisted you drive yourself off a cliffā€¦)

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    1. Just as well I used some common sense and didn’t drive ahead off the cliff, as Google suggested. There may be people who would – if blogger Graham’s comment above indicates. People visiting Hawaii drove along a boat ramp and into the water – directed by Google! How crazy!
      Maybe solar flares do have some kind of impact on GPS navigation. Mapping you in the ocean sounds really wild!

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  25. Great insightful blog post Forestwood. I agree that technology as changed a lot these days or should I say in this 21st Century. I believe Google Maps and Lens, Google Drive and Google Photos enable us Users to get access to data. I mean with Google Maps it is easier to know where you are going. I once used Google Maps to go to a place called”Matsapha” here in Eswatini where I stay.

    Well, Tech is both good and bad I guessšŸ™

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  26. I remember the “recalculating,” Amanda! My sense of direction is not the best, compared to my husband. I rely on the GPS or Google Maps a lot. My husband used to ride a dirt bike on the mountain in some desert area with no roads. He could find his way back to the city at night.

    The Google Maps give me several options of routes but not the best one during the rush hours. Yesterday I took surface streets to get to my destination in 16 minutes whereas Google Maps gave me three options with 22 minutes each.

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    1. It certainly pays to scrutinise the google map options, Miriam. Many of us have that ability to find our way, like your husband, despite the lack of road signage, but if we don’t use that ability, and become reliant on someone else or something else it seems to fade fast.

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  27. Google and any other GPS systems I use with the proverbial grain of salt; I can never totally accept its suggestions without a little bit of common sense input applied on my part, just to make sure. šŸ¤Ŗ

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    1. Many thanks for your comment and welcome to StPA!
      Common sense is very much needed along with Google maps as a tool, Marcia! I totally agree with you. You need to have a sense of navigation and where you are headed, else you might be going round in circles when the GPS gets confused. I find this happens particularly in new road constructions. Technology is but a tool for us, not the total solution.

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  28. Google maps frequently refers me to pedestrian walkways and narrow alleys. When my father first used it to return from an SCA meeting in Vermont back to Upstate, Google nearly led him right into Lake Champlain.

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  29. Pingback: When Google Gets it Wrong | M Thomas Apple Author Page

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