In what can only be described as an embarrassing oversight, Microsoft made a notable misstep recently when it listed the Ottawa Food Bank as a tourist destination.
The listing occurred on Microsoft’s new “Search Results Clustering” feature, which groups relevant things to do, places to stay, and touristic events in one neat bundle. The feature launched with plans to provide a comprehensive, long-term database of places to stay and things to do, with the ultimate goal being to revolutionize the way people view and plan trips.
When Microsoft began displaying the Ottawa Food Bank as a destination, many were suspicious that it was the result of “unsupervised AI” gone awry. But, according to Microsoft, that is not the case. A Microsoft spokesperson clarified that the Ottawa Food Bank was listed because Microsoft’s employees had knowledge about the food bank’s function as a “meeting place” for volunteers in their world food settings.
“We apologize for the mistake”, the spokesperson said. “The listing was made in error.”
Microsoft has since removed the Ottawa Food Bank from their list of tourist destinations and has promised to put safeguards in place to ensure this type of mistake does not happen again.
For many people, the mistake was seen as careless and was a blow to Microsoft’s reputation. But it is a good reminder of how important it is to double-check information and be sure that it is accurate before making any assumptions or decisions. As Microsoft has proven, it’s important to double-check data before it is shared with the world.