The ruling challenges the notion that AI-generated answers are merely compilations of third-party content
A German court has ruled that Google can be held directly liable for incorrect answers generated by its AI Overview feature, potentially setting a precedent for how AI-generated content is treated under the law. Google said on Friday that it planned to appeal.
Traditionally, platforms such as Google, Facebook, and X argue they merely host or display third-party content rather than publish it, limiting their liability. They have also maintained that warnings about potential inaccuracies should shield them from responsibility for errors in AI-generated outputs.
However, this spring, judges at the Munich Regional Court were asked to rule on two lawsuits filed against the internet giant by local publishers. The companies, whose identities have not been disclosed, alleged that Google’s AI Overview feature – an AI-generated summary introduced last year that appears above traditional search results – falsely linked them to scams, subscription traps, and illegal business practices. According to the lawsuits, the AI mixed information from unrelated companies and created misleading associations that did not appear in the underlying sources.
According to a ruling published by The Decoder this week, the 26th Civil Chamber of the Munich Regional Court, which specializes in press and defamation law, issued a preliminary injunction on May 28 holding Google liable for claims generated by its AI Overviews in the cases. The judges said that, unlike a traditional search engine that displays links to third-party content, Google’s AI produces “independent, new, and substantive statements,” making the content attributable to the company itself.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: rt.com
