Search giant Google resolved an automated error in its search engine after its AI Overviews feature mistakenly informed users that Flock Safety license plate cameras contain hundreds of dollars worth of gold and copper.
According to tech news outlet Futurism, searching queries such as "how much gold does a Flock camera have" prompted Google's AI Overview to state as fact that each unit contained between one to five grams of gold and two to 23 pounds of copper. Tech analysts quickly noted the physical impossibility of the claim, as an entire Flock automatic license plate reader weighs roughly three pounds total.
The false search summaries originated from satiric posts and memes circulating in online privacy communities, where users jokingly exaggerate the metal scrap value of public surveillance equipment. Futurism reported that Google’s algorithm cited an anonymous Substack blog post and an AI-generated Instagram image as authoritative sources for the claim. At current market prices, five grams of gold alone would represent over $600 in value inside a camera designed to be mounted on public roadside poles.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges for AI-driven search tools, which ingest vast quantities of web content and occasionally fail to distinguish sarcastic internet commentary from factual data. Law enforcement agencies across North Texas, including departments in Dallas and Fort Worth, rely on Flock Safety license plate cameras for vehicle tracking and crime...
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