Microsoft Bing Copilot shared misinformation about a German journalist after he asked the chatbot to describe itself.

Microsoft’s chatbot Bing Copilot falsely accused a German journalist of several crimes. He was described as a child molester, an escapee from a mental institution and a fraudster who exploits widows. The journalist was falsely identified as the perpetrator, while he was merely the reporter of such crimes. The journalist then sent a strike request to Microsoft via his lawyer.

Wrongly accused

German journalist Martin Bernklau asked Microsoft Bing Copilot to describe himself. What he then read astonished him. Microsoft Bing Copilot accused him of several crimes that he had once reported on. For example, the chatbot described him as a child molester, an escapee from a mental institution and a fraudster who exploits widows.

Bernklau told his story in a video interview with Südwestrundfunk (SWR). The journalist then told The Register via email that his lawyer had filed a cease-and-desist request against Microsoft. In addition, he said the company had failed to adequately remove the misinformation. “Microsoft has promised the data protection officer of the Free State of Bavaria that the fake content will be removed,” Bernklau told The Register.

A Microsoft spokesperson told The Register that they “investigated the report and took appropriate and immediate action to address it.” Chatbots spreading misinformation or making things up have happened several times before, which underscores once again the importance of keeping a critical eye when copying AI-generated text.