Google is busy fine-tuning its AI chatbot, Gemini, although much of the recent coverage has revolved around its inability to generate accurate images of people. However, the team behind the company’s current AI efforts also has other obstacles to deal with, such as inconsistent Wi-Fi speeds, a new report has found.
Eight anonymous employees of the Google Bay View campus in Mountain View, California, told Reuters (via 9to5Google) that their offices have an inexplicable Wi-Fi problem. Workers say it’s been “inoperable” and “spotty” over the past few months. Google’s generative AI team works on this campus along with a portion of its advertising team, per Reuters.
The employees said they have to stay plugged into an Ethernet cable for a stable connection, with others even relying on mobile hotspots as a temporary solution. Furthermore, the report adds that managers are asking employees to go outside or to the cafe on campus, which seemingly has better Wi-Fi coverage.
For its part, a Google spokesperson has already acknowledged the problem to Reuters, saying that the company has “made several improvements to address the issue” while promising to fix it in the next few weeks.
There’s still no public info on what’s causing this particular Wi-Fi concern, though, but one of the people who spoke to Reuters said the unique design of the Bay View campus, especially the rooftop, “swallows Wi-Fi like the Bermuda Triangle.” The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on one of the employees, who said, “You’d think the world’s leading internet company would have worked this out.”
Google Gemini, in the meantime, is already aware of Bay View’s Wi-Fi headaches. In a fun test conducted by Reuters, the chatbot seemingly had no idea about the Wi-Fi issues on the campus, supposedly giving out vague answers. But when I asked if Google’s Bay View campus has Wi-Fi, Gemini returned the following response with more context:
Yes, Google’s Bay View campus does have Wi-Fi. However, there have been reports of ongoing Wi-Fi connectivity issues since the campus opened in 2022. These issues can range from inoperable Wi-Fi to spotty connections.
The entire situation is a little embarrassing for Google, no doubt, though there could be an underlying issue in the vicinity of Bay View that’s leading to the Wi-Fi troubles. Or, as one of the anonymous workers suggested, this could have something to do with the architecture of the campus. There’s not a lot we know about this issue apart from this Reuters report, but since Google has already confirmed that it’s a legitimate problem, we should hear more about it when it is remedied.
