In recent developments that have sparked both amusement and concern on the internet, Google's latest artificial intelligence offering, Gemini, has stumbled into the spotlight with a series of controversial responses that highlight the tension between technology and woke ideology. Gemini, touted as the tech giant's answer to the burgeoning field of conversational AI and a rival to OpenAI's ChatGPT, has drawn criticism for what appears to be a biased algorithm when responding to users' queries about historical figures, political ideologies, and societal comparisons.

The incident began when users prompted Gemini to display images of the founding fathers, resulting in a diverse set of images that notably excluded white individuals. Further exploration by users revealed that Gemini, while avoiding the display of white people in certain contexts, showed a propensity to associate them with stock photos of criminals. This apparent double standard has raised questions about the AI's programming and its handling of sensitive topics.

When prompted to weigh in on the impact of libertarianism versus Stalinism, or to compare the harm caused by Elon Musk to that of a notorious German dictator, Gemini's responses were non-committal, stating that these issues were "complicated." Similarly, when asked to compare living conditions in the contemporary United States to those in 1930s Germany, the AI's response was a stark "no," implying a lack of improvement or even a regression.

These responses are indicative of a broader issue that has been permeating Google since around 2010, as the company has faced pressure from left-wing activists to align with woke ideology, a shift that critics argue has compromised the company's core offerings. The concern is not limited to Google; it is a sentiment echoed across corporate America, from beer commercials to the silver screen, where there is a perceived sacrifice of traditional values for progressive stances.

The implications of this are substantial, as shareholders, theoretically the controlling voices in corporate governance, find their influence diluted. The majority of shareholder votes are controlled by investment behemoths such as Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street, and Invesco, entities that have also been criticized for their alignment with woke ideologies. This dynamic insulates company management from the repercussions of their decisions, even if those decisions are detrimental to the company's success and shareholder value.

The silver lining is that the built-in bias of Gemini may serve as a wake up call against blind trust in AI, shifting public perception from uncritical acceptance to skeptical evaluation. This shift is paralleled in the realm of higher education, where universities, once bastions of authority, are now scrutinized for their embrace of woke philosophies.

As the debate around the role of AI in mirroring and shaping societal values rages on, the saga of Google's Gemini serves as a cautionary tale about the intersection of technology and ideology.