Man fights Google AI summary linking him to criminal past

A Norwegian man in his 40s says a Google AI summary of his name presents him as a criminal and drug addict. When he searches his own name, the AI-generated overview highlights his past legal troubles and addiction history. He now wants to erase this digital footprint but faces legal and technical hurdles. The issue stems from a 2018 conviction for drug-related offenses and a subsequent rehabilitation period. Local media archives and court documents remain accessible online, which Google’s AI uses to generate summaries. The man told Digi.no that the AI output gives a false and damaging impression to anyone searching his name. Norway’s data protection authority, Datatilsynet, has previously ruled that individuals cannot demand removal of public records from search engines. Exceptions apply only if the information is outdated or irrelevant. The man’s case may test these boundaries, as his conviction occurred years ago and he has since completed rehabilitation. Legal experts say removing AI-generated summaries is uncharted territory. Google’s AI pulls from publicly available sources, so requests must target the original documents. Even if those are removed, cached versions or other sites may still display the information. The man has consulted lawyers to explore his options. For now, his digital past remains visible through AI summaries, despite his efforts to move forward. Source: digi.no