In a major embarrassment for Meta, its automatic translation tool wrongly declared Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dead, after mistranslating a condolence message originally posted in Kannada by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Facebook. The post was meant to mourn the passing of veteran actress B. Saroja Devi, but the AI-generated English translation shockingly read:
"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah passed away yesterday multilingual star, senior actress B. Took darshan of Sarojadevi's earthly body and paid his last respects."
CM Siddaramaiah Slams Meta:
Siddaramaiah responded sharply, calling the translation error irresponsible and dangerous, especially given that the post was an official communication. He urged Meta to:
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Suspend the Kannada auto-translation feature until it meets accuracy standards.
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Collaborate with Kannada language experts to improve contextual translation quality.
In a public tweet, the Chief Minister stated:
“Faulty auto-translation of Kannada content on Meta platforms is distorting facts and misleading users… Such negligence by tech giants can harm public understanding and trust.”
Official Letter to Meta:
Siddaramaiah’s media adviser, KV Prabhakar, sent an official letter to Meta, expressing deep concern over:
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Frequent inaccuracies in Kannada-to-English auto-translations.
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The potential damage to public perception when mistranslations are mistaken for authentic updates.
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The need for transparency, so users know when content is machine-translated.
The letter emphasized that Meta’s tools are often used to interpret government announcements, and inaccurate translations risk spreading misinformation—especially among non-Kannada speakers who rely on English for updates.
Meta's Response:
Though Meta has not publicly commented, the faulty translation was quickly corrected, indicating that the company acknowledged the error. However, no official apology or commitment to improving Kannada translation has been announced so far.
Larger Concerns:
This incident has reignited debate about the reliability of AI-based language tools, particularly for Indian regional languages like Kannada, which are often underrepresented in tech development. Experts warn that:
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Automated translations lack cultural and linguistic nuance.
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Mistranslations in sensitive political or public messages can have serious repercussions.
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Companies like Meta must be more accountable and transparent when deploying AI tools in diverse linguistic contexts.
Conclusion:
The gaffe highlights the urgent need for tech platforms to improve Indian language translation accuracy, especially when used in official or public-facing contexts. Siddaramaiah’s strong response reflects broader concerns about AI-driven misinformation, and may set a precedent for other regional governments to demand better language handling by global tech giants.
