Google's AI claimed Flock cameras hold $650 in gold and 23 pounds of copper It was duped by meme Godwin Oluponmile Sat, August 8, 2026 at 8:00 AM PDT 5 min read Justin Sullivan/Getty Images As recently as Aug. 5, Google's AI was telling anyone who asked it that a Flock license plate camera reader holds up to 23 pounds of copper, plus several grams of gold roughly $650. The claim traces back to a joke that's been circulating for months. Flock's cameras, which photograph license plates and feed them into databases used by police, have a lot of enemies online. Must Read Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going Among privacy activists, a running gag took hold: there's supposedly a small fortune in metal inside each unit, so why not turn one into scrapyard money? It was a bit, not a tip. Google's AI didn't get the joke and started repeating it as fact. Adding to the mishap is the fact the Flock camera actually weighs about three pounds . What the AI Overview said Futurism's Joe Wilkins reported that if you searched "how much gold does a Flock camera have," Google gave you a straight answer. Each camera holds "about 1 to 5 grams of gold" in its circuit boards and wiring, the Overview claimed, along with as much as 23 pounds of copper. At that week's gold prices, 5 grams came to roughly $650 per camera. And where did Google find all this? Two places. One was a Substack post from an anonymous account called "do.not.obey.do.not.comply," which put the scrap value at $150 to $500. Even that post didn't pretend to know it said the figure came from "estimates based on scrap-value discussions," which is a long way of saying somebody guessed. The other source was an AI-generated Instagram post telling followers to tear into the hardware. The account behind it mostly posts about growing cannabis. That was the entire evidence base behind an answer sitting in Google's most prominent slot, above every actual webpage. Google didn't respond when Futurism reached out for comment. But by Aug. 6, when TechSpot's Skye Jacobs checked , the answer had flipped: the Overview now tells you the copper claim can't be true because the whole unit weighs about 3 pounds, that any gold is trace-level, and that the rumors "come from internet memes and AI hallucinations, not facts." Which means a meme boosted by an AI-generated post, then repeated by Google's AI, is now being knocked down by the same AI that spread it. Story Continues Read More: Vanguard reveals what's coming for U.S....
🔥 EXCLUSIVE PARTNER OFFER
Bonola Magnetic 3 in 1 Wireless Charger for iPhone 17/16/15/13/14/12 30W Wireless Charging Station for Apple Watch/AirPods Pro
Special Price
⚡ Flash sale! Get the best deals on AliExpress today. Hurry, stocks are limited!
Affiliate link — Commission earned at no extra cost to you
© EcoNews DZ — Global Economic & Financial News
Comments
Post a Comment