Meta Issues Apology After Translation Error Falsely Declares Karnataka Chief Minister Dead
Quote from Lawyer on July 18, 2025, 12:12 pmIn a significant blunder, Meta's automatic translation tool mistakenly announced the death of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sparking widespread confusion and criticism. The incident occurred when a condolence message, originally posted in Kannada by the Chief Minister's Office on Facebook and Instagram, was mistranslated into English, falsely stating that Siddaramaiah had passed away.
On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Siddaramaiah shared a heartfelt condolence message in Kannada, mourning the passing of veteran Indian actress B. Saroja Devi. The post, intended to express his respects and sorrow, was automatically translated into English by Meta's AI-powered translation system. However, the translation erroneously read, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah passed away yesterday multilingual star, senior actress B. Took darshan of Sarojadevi's earthly body and paid his last respects." This grave error caused immediate alarm among readers and followers, leading to widespread concern and confusion.
The mistranslation quickly drew sharp criticism from Siddaramaiah, who took to social media to address the issue. He described the faulty auto-translation of Kannada content on Meta's platforms as misleading and dangerous, particularly in the context of official communications. In a post on X, he urged social media platforms to act responsibly and cautioned the public about the potential inaccuracies of automated translations. He emphasized that such errors could erode public trust and distort critical information, especially when originating from a constitutional figure like the Chief Minister.
On July 16, 2025, the Chief Minister's media advisor, K.V. Prabhakar, escalated the matter by sending a formal letter to Meta, raising serious concerns about the accuracy of their Kannada-to-English translations. The letter highlighted that the auto-translation feature frequently produced inaccurate and misleading results, posing significant risks for public communications. It urged Meta to temporarily suspend the Kannada auto-translation feature until its accuracy could be reliably improved. Additionally, the Karnataka government requested that Meta collaborate with qualified Kannada language experts to enhance the contextual accuracy of translations.
Meta responded promptly on Thursday, July 17, 2025, issuing a public apology for the error. A company spokesperson acknowledged the issue, stating that a technical glitch in their AI-powered translation model had caused the inaccurate translation. They confirmed that the problem had been resolved and expressed regret for the confusion caused. Meta's swift response aimed to address the public outcry and restore confidence in their translation tools.
The incident has sparked broader discussions about the reliability of AI-driven translation systems, particularly for regional languages like Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in southern India. Siddaramaiah's criticism underscored the importance of linguistic accuracy in a multilingual country like India, where miscommunications can have far-reaching consequences. The Karnataka government reiterated its call for tech giants to prioritize responsible handling of official communications, emphasizing the need for robust systems to prevent such errors in the future.
This blunder serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by social media platforms in managing automated translations across diverse languages. As Meta works to refine its AI translation models, the incident highlights the critical need for collaboration with linguistic experts to ensure accuracy and cultural sensitivity. For now, Siddaramaiah and his office continue to advocate for greater accountability from tech companies, urging them to safeguard public trust in digital communications.
In a significant blunder, Meta's automatic translation tool mistakenly announced the death of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sparking widespread confusion and criticism. The incident occurred when a condolence message, originally posted in Kannada by the Chief Minister's Office on Facebook and Instagram, was mistranslated into English, falsely stating that Siddaramaiah had passed away.
On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Siddaramaiah shared a heartfelt condolence message in Kannada, mourning the passing of veteran Indian actress B. Saroja Devi. The post, intended to express his respects and sorrow, was automatically translated into English by Meta's AI-powered translation system. However, the translation erroneously read, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah passed away yesterday multilingual star, senior actress B. Took darshan of Sarojadevi's earthly body and paid his last respects." This grave error caused immediate alarm among readers and followers, leading to widespread concern and confusion.
The mistranslation quickly drew sharp criticism from Siddaramaiah, who took to social media to address the issue. He described the faulty auto-translation of Kannada content on Meta's platforms as misleading and dangerous, particularly in the context of official communications. In a post on X, he urged social media platforms to act responsibly and cautioned the public about the potential inaccuracies of automated translations. He emphasized that such errors could erode public trust and distort critical information, especially when originating from a constitutional figure like the Chief Minister.
On July 16, 2025, the Chief Minister's media advisor, K.V. Prabhakar, escalated the matter by sending a formal letter to Meta, raising serious concerns about the accuracy of their Kannada-to-English translations. The letter highlighted that the auto-translation feature frequently produced inaccurate and misleading results, posing significant risks for public communications. It urged Meta to temporarily suspend the Kannada auto-translation feature until its accuracy could be reliably improved. Additionally, the Karnataka government requested that Meta collaborate with qualified Kannada language experts to enhance the contextual accuracy of translations.
Meta responded promptly on Thursday, July 17, 2025, issuing a public apology for the error. A company spokesperson acknowledged the issue, stating that a technical glitch in their AI-powered translation model had caused the inaccurate translation. They confirmed that the problem had been resolved and expressed regret for the confusion caused. Meta's swift response aimed to address the public outcry and restore confidence in their translation tools.
The incident has sparked broader discussions about the reliability of AI-driven translation systems, particularly for regional languages like Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in southern India. Siddaramaiah's criticism underscored the importance of linguistic accuracy in a multilingual country like India, where miscommunications can have far-reaching consequences. The Karnataka government reiterated its call for tech giants to prioritize responsible handling of official communications, emphasizing the need for robust systems to prevent such errors in the future.
This blunder serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by social media platforms in managing automated translations across diverse languages. As Meta works to refine its AI translation models, the incident highlights the critical need for collaboration with linguistic experts to ensure accuracy and cultural sensitivity. For now, Siddaramaiah and his office continue to advocate for greater accountability from tech companies, urging them to safeguard public trust in digital communications.