A French-language artificial intelligence chatbot, backed by the French government, has been temporarily removed from service after delivering nonsensical answers to basic questions, including recommending that a user eat "cow’s eggs."
The chatbot, named Lucie, was developed by a consortium that includes the Linagora Group. In a statement released on Saturday, Linagora described Lucie as an "academic research project in its early stages" and admitted that the model was released prematurely.
“We were carried away by our own enthusiasm,” the company stated, acknowledging that it should have been clearer about the chatbot’s limitations.
Michel-Marie Maudet, General Director of Linagora Group, confirmed that the team is working to update the model. A beta version will be tested privately before Lucie is relaunched to the public.
Lucie’s launch on Thursday quickly drew attention for its bizarre and incorrect responses. One user asked the chatbot about "cow’s eggs," to which Lucie replied, “Cow’s eggs, also known as chicken’s eggs, are edible eggs produced by cows. Cow’s eggs are a source of protein and nutrients and are considered to be a healthy and nutritious food.”
In another instance, when asked to solve the equation 5 multiplied by (3 + 2), Lucie incorrectly answered 17 instead of 25. The chatbot also claimed that “the square root of a goat is one,” further fueling online ridicule.
Lucie was developed as part of France’s efforts to challenge the dominance of English-language AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and to promote French-language AI technology. Named after the oldest known human ancestor, Lucie’s logo is inspired by Marianne, a national symbol of France, and actress Scarlett Johansson, who starred in the film Lucy.
“Lucie is covered by a blue, white, and red shawl, demonstrating her sovereign French personality,” Linagora explained in a statement.
The project has received support from French President Emmanuel Macron as part of his France 2030 investment program, which allocates €54 billion ($56.8 billion) to various initiatives, including AI development.
Macron is also set to host the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris from February 10 to 11, bringing together world leaders and tech industry figures to discuss the future of AI.
Lucie’s temporary removal highlights the challenges of developing reliable AI systems and the importance of rigorous testing before public release.
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