Back to Headlines
Tech
May 28, 2026
Analyzed by GPT OSS 120B

Why Google’s AI Can’t Spell Google (or Anything Else)

AI Summary
Google’s new AI Overview feature in Search miscounts basic letters, claiming there are two “P”s in “Google” and other absurd errors. The mishaps expose a persistent weakness of large language models and raise questions about user trust in AI‑driven search.

Google’s AI Overview Stumbles on Simple Letter Counting

Google’s newly rolled‑out AI Overview feature in Search incorrectly counted letters in everyday words – claiming there are two “P”s in “Google”, one “r” in “poop”, and even misspelling “journalism”. The blunders highlight a long‑standing weakness of large language models (LLMs) when it comes to exact spelling.

The Miscounted Letters Behind the New Search AI

  • “Google” – AI said 2 Ps (actual: 0)
  • “poop” – AI said 1 r (actual: 0)
  • “journalism” – AI said 2 d’s (actual: 0)
  • U.S. President’s last name – AI reported 1 P but rendered “t‑r‑p‑u‑m”

Quantifying the Miscounts: Numbers Behind the Errors

Beyond the anecdotal examples, the AI also produced a faulty definition for the word “disregard”, responding with “Understood. Let me know whenever you have a new prompt or question!” This illustrates that token‑based encoding can produce nonsensical outputs even when the input is a single word.

Implications for Search Trust and AI Adoption

Google’s AI‑driven overhaul aims to make generative responses the centerpiece of its 29‑year‑old search product. Repeated factual and spelling errors risk eroding user confidence, especially after earlier AI Overviews cited satirical sources and gave absurd advice such as “eat rocks”. Trust in AI‑generated answers remains a critical hurdle.

What’s Next for Google’s Generative Search?

Google told TechCrunch it is “working to fix this particular issue” and will likely refine its tokenizer and post‑processing pipelines. Industry observers expect incremental improvements rather than a complete architectural shift, meaning users may continue to see occasional glitches while the broader AI‑search strategy matures.