Canadian artist's gig cancelled after AI wrongly identifies him as a sex offender

Canadian musician Ashley MacIsaac has threatened legal action after Google AI wrongly identified him as a sex offender.

The award-winning fiddler was due to play at Sipekne’katik First Nation reserve in Nova Scotia, Canada, on December 19, however, MacIsaac says he was later informed that the show had been pulled by the venue due to "misinformation" it had seen via Google search results.

“The chief messaged back and said: ‘We can’t have you in our community due to your past criminal convictions'," and I thought, ‘What are they talking about? I got arrested once for smoking marijuana',” MacIsaac told CTV News.

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According to AI News Daily, Google AI claimed that MacIsaac had been convicted of "sexual assault, internet luring, assaulting a woman, and attempting to assault a minor," which he believes had been pulled from articles relating to someone of the same name.

While Google has now rectified its AI search results for the musician, MacIsaac hinted at the potential for legal action as a result of the incident.

“If a lawyer wants to take this on (for free)... I would stand up because I’m not the first and I’m sure I won’t be the last," MacIsaac told CBC News.

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“You are being put into a less secure situation because of a media company – that’s what defamation is,” he continues. “I could have been at a border and put in jail. So something has to be figured out as far as what the AI companies are responsible for… and what they can prevent.”

While the tech giant has not apologised for the mishap, Google Canada spokesperson Wendy Manton told CBC News: "When issues arise – like if our features misinterpret web content or miss some context – we use those examples to improve our systems, and may take action under our policies."

The Sipekne’katik First Nation has since apologised for cancelling his show, writing in a statement: "We deeply regret the harm this caused to your reputation and livelihood. Chief and council value your artistry, contribution to the cultural life of the Maritimes, and your commitment to reconciliation.”

[Via: CBC News]

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter