Ashley MacIsaac
The violinist even had a concert canceled after organizers researched him and came across Google’s AI saying he was a sex offender. The information was false.
The Canadian musician Ashley MacIsaac became an unexpected victim of artificial intelligence errors after Google’s AI-generated search summary had him misidentified as a sex offenderleading to the cancellation of a scheduled performance in Nova Scotia.
According to the newspaper, organizers from the Sipekne’katik First Nation, located north of Halifax, canceled a MacIsaac performance after they came across a Google “AI Overview” that incorrectly described the violinist and singer as a sex offender. The error appears to have occurred because the AI mixed up MacIsaac’s biography with that of another person with the same name.
MacIsaac, a well-known figure in Canadian music for decades, said the mistake put him in a dangerous and deeply distressing position. “Google made a mistake and put me in a dangerous situation,” he told the newspaper. Although Google has already corrected the AI-generated summary, the musician stated that the damage may already be done.
As a touring artist, MacIsaac relies on his reputation and public trust to land gigs. The artist said there is no way of knowing how many promoters or venues may have decided not to work with him. after seeing the false informationor how many potential fans may have believed her without ever seeing the correction. “People should be aware that they need to check their online presence to see if someone else’s name appears,” he warned.
Once the error was identified, the Sipekne’katik First Nation issued a formal apology and extended an invitation for a future presentation. In a letter shared with The Globe and Mail, a spokesperson acknowledged the damage caused by the error, writing that the community “deeply regrets the damage this error has caused to your reputation, your livelihood and your sense of personal security.” The statement emphasized that the situation resulted from a case of AI-generated mistaken identity rather than any action by MacIsaac.
Google, for its part, defended its systems in a general statement, saying that search results, including AI Overviews, are “dynamic and change frequentlyA company representative stated that errors are used to improve the system and may lead to corrective actions in accordance with Google policies.
However, critics point out that reputational damage is not easily undone, particularly when false allegations involve serious crimes.
