• Google apologized for a news alert containing a racial slur during the BAFTAs.
• The alert referred to an incident involving a Tourette's syndrome attendee.
• The company clarified that AI was not responsible for the error.
• Both the BBC and BAFTA have issued apologies for the incident.
• Critics question the effectiveness of content moderation systems in media.

Google has publicly apologized after sending a news alert that contained the unedited N-word following the recent BAFTA awards ceremony. The incident stemmed from the actions of an audience member with Tourette syndrome, who involuntarily shouted the slur during a presentation by actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. A Google spokesperson stated, "We're deeply sorry for this mistake. We've removed the offensive notification and are working to prevent this from happening again," according to BBC.

The notification, which previewed a story about the BAFTAs, was quickly removed, with Google reporting that it went out to only a "small subset of users." Initially, there were claims on social media that generative AI was responsible for the error, but Google clarified that the incident resulted from a failure in its safety filters rather than AI involvement. The notification system had incorrectly inserted the slur based on content it recognized from various online sources, as detailed in Business Insider and India Times.

John Davidson, the individual at the center of the controversy who experiences Tourette syndrome, expressed that he was "deeply mortified" if anyone perceived his involuntary tics as intentional. Davidson emphasized that such vocal tics do not reflect a person's beliefs or values, reinforcing that only about 10% of those with Tourette syndrome experience coprolalia, according to the Tourette Association of America. This has sparked discussions about the public's understanding of Tourette syndrome, reported by Business Insider and India Times.

The incident has prompted serious introspection from both the BAFTAs and the BBC, who faced backlash since the ceremony was broadcasted on a two-hour tape delay. BAFTA has publicly accepted "full responsibility" and promised to learn from the ordeal, highlighting that such situations must be handled with greater care. Kate Phillips, the BBC's chief content officer, reiterated this commitment, stating that when the slur became audible, she immediately requested its removal from the broadcast, according to BBC and India Times.