The French government has shut down an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot named ‘Lucy’ due to its incorrect responses to basic mathematical problems and an unusual recommendation for a user to eat “cow eggs.”
On Saturday, the chatbot’s developer, Linagora Group, stated in a press release that Lucy was part of an “academic research project” and was still in its early stages. The company admitted that the model was launched “too quickly” and that users should have been clearly informed about its limitations.
“We became overly enthusiastic about our work”, the statement read. Linagora Group’s General Director, Michel-Marie Modet, confirmed that the chatbot would now undergo updates and be reintroduced to the public after further testing in a new beta version.
Following its launch on Thursday, users began sharing Lucy’s incorrect responses on social media. One user had asked the chatbot about cow eggs, to which Lucy replied:
“Cow eggs, also known as chicken eggs, are edible eggs produced by cows. Cow eggs are a source of protein and nutrition and are considered a healthy and nutritious food.”
Additionally, users reported that when Lucy was asked to multiply (3+2) by 5, instead of providing the correct answer of 25, it responded with 17. The chatbot also incorrectly stated that “the square root of a goat is one,” causing further confusion.
Linagora Group had launched Lucy as an alternative to AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, aiming to challenge the dominance of the English language in artificial intelligence with a French-language AI model. The chatbot was named after one of humanity’s oldest ancestors.
In a statement on January 3, Linagora explained that its logo was inspired by France’s national symbol, “Marianne,” as well as the movie “Lucy,” in which actress Scarlett Johansson starred. “Lucy is wrapped in a blue, white, and red scarf, symbolising her sovereign French identity,” the company stated.
French President Emmanuel Macron had expressed support for Lucy as part of his “France 2030” investment program, which includes various projects worth a total of €54 billion ($56.8 billion).
Macron is set to attend the “Artificial Intelligence Action Summit” in Paris on February 10-11, where global tech experts and leaders will gather to discuss AI advancements.