The Indicator from Planet Money · Tuesday, July 14, 2026
An initial AI overview on Google incorrectly stated actor Paul Rudd's age as 57, which was later verified by multiple sources like Wikipedia, IMDb, and People magazine. This anecdote, shared at the beginning of the podcast, serves as a quick example of how AI summaries can sometimes produce inaccurate information, even if it appears to be confirmed by subsequent checks, and the initial ease with which users might accept such information.
“Okay, 57. Uh, do you want to maybe look at one of the websites below the summary?”
“Yeah, that could be a hallucination. Let's double check.”
“Okay, uh, Wikipedia, IMDb, all of verifying. Oh, and People magazine. All say 57.”