The AI fails of the last year

Chatbots, which are supposed to help users by providing personalised and swift responses to questions, provide support and engagement, and even collect customer feedback, can be a source of misinformation due to poor AI model training.⁶ 

New York City’s AI chatbot, which was created to help small business owners by providing answers to questions pertaining to NYC’s business services, was found to have been giving erroneous and illegal advice to users. 

Some of the chatbot’s eyebrow-raising responses include stating that restaurants can still serve cheese that’s been nibbled on by a rodent.⁷  

These failures emphasise the need for reliable, real-time data processing and ethical AI training. With the help of 5G, AI chatbots can swiftly analyse vast amounts of omnichannel data to deliver personalised responses in real-time. 

Last year, Apple announced in an internal meeting that they were scrapping their mysterious electric car project with the codename Project Titan — an endeavour that reportedly cost the company billions of dollars to develop. It was reported that Apple started allocating resources to this ambitious project back in 2014.⁹

Another electric car issue happened in 2024. Waymo, a US-based self-driving taxi company, had to issue a voluntary software recall after one of its vehicles drove into a wooden telephone pole with a speed of eight miles per hour. The minor incident only affected the driverless taxi but did not cause any injuries to anyone.¹⁰ 

Autonomous systems require ultra-low latency and high-speed connectivity to process vast amounts of data in real-time, which are key features of Singtel’s 5G+ infrastructure.

5G’s ultra-low latency enables smart cars to make split-second decisions and immediately respond to complex and changing conditions, which can reduce the risk of collision and save lives. 5G also enables fast communications with other smart vehicles, smart infrastructures, and the cloud, ensuring that smart cars are armed with updated information at all times.

McDonald’s removed its AI-powered ordering system from 100 US drive-through restaurants after customers shared their funny experiences online. The AI ordering system used voice recognition software to process orders. However, it wasn’t able to accurately do so, which resulted in funny misinterpretations that went viral on social media platforms such as TikTok.¹¹ 

In the UK, two Starship Technologies automated delivery machines had an amusing face-off when one of the bots crossed the street and caused the other to get confused about which direction to take. The machines, which are typically used to deliver food, groceries, and industrial supplies, were at an impasse for a few minutes before they finally started moving to their respective routes.¹²

These AI failures highlight the importance of seamless integration between AI and IoT devices, which Singtel’s 5G+ network can facilitate with its high reliability and scalability. 

5G’s high bandwidth allows AI-powered systems, services, and apps to receive, process, and send vast amounts of data quickly to facilitate smart and efficient processes remotely.

AI will continue to be utilised for innovative breakthroughs in the coming years. Countries have already started integrating AI into their operations to deliver streamlined services to people and build robust and responsible smart cities.¹³

To accelerate economic growth and modernisation and reduce the likelihood of AI failures, organisations need to build 5G-powered AI applications. 5G technology has ultra-high speeds, low latency, and high bandwidth, which enables organisations to collect and analyse vast amounts of data from various sources. This can allow AI-powered apps to make accurate decisions in real-time. For example, AI models can be used to accurately predict trends and movements in the stock market based on historical data.¹⁴

Businesses can maximise the benefits of AI apps and services for business innovation and growth with Singtel 5G+¹⁵, a comprehensive solution that allows organisations to connect with Singapore's first telco to deploy the 700MHz band, bolstering its 5G coverage nationwide. 

With Singtel 5G+, businesses can support AI apps, critical services, and groundbreaking tech innovations swiftly and securely, including:

• Automated checkout systems and smart inventory tracking apps in smart retail
• Remote monitoring systems and accurate real-time navigation apps in autonomous logistics
• Mobile ICUs and remote surgical procedures in smart healthcare 

Contact us today to discover how Singtel 5G can help you on your AI journey today.