Here’s a shocking revelation: Google’s AI Overview is labeling Call of Duty: Black Ops 7—a very real, albeit controversial game—as a complete fiction. Yes, you read that right. Despite the game’s official release and widespread player reviews, Google’s AI insists it doesn’t exist. But here’s where it gets even more bizarre: the AI accurately describes the game’s release date, story setting, and gameplay modes—yet still calls it ‘fictional.’ So, what’s going on here? And this is the part most people miss: this isn’t just a quirky glitch; it’s a symptom of a much larger issue with AI systems struggling to keep up with real-time information.
For months, anyone searching for Black Ops 7 on Google has been met with the AI’s baffling claim: ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a fictional video game that does not exist.’ It even goes on to detail the game’s hypothetical features—all of which are, in fact, real. The game is the 22nd installment in the Call of Duty franchise and the eighth in the Black Ops series. While it’s received a dismal 1.8 user score on Metacritic, with players criticizing its lackluster single-player campaign and questionable use of generative AI, there’s no denying it’s a tangible, released product. So why is Google’s AI so adamant it’s fake?
The issue was first flagged by a Reddit user in the r/google subreddit about three months ago. As recently as the day before the game’s release, the AI Overview continued to label it as fictional—and it’s still happening now. Interestingly, this glitch seems limited to mobile devices and AI Overviews; Google’s standard search mode correctly identifies the game as real. Mashable reached out to Google and Activision-Blizzard for comment but hasn’t heard back yet.
But here’s the controversial part: This isn’t an isolated incident. Google’s AI Overviews have no trouble recognizing other games released around the same time, like Yakuza Kiwami 2 for the Switch 2. Yet, it stumbles over Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, first misidentifying it as a mobile game before correcting itself—all while failing to mention its Switch and Switch 2 releases. This inconsistency raises a critical question: Can we trust AI to be our go-to source for accurate, up-to-date information?
As Mashable’s Chase DiBenedetto has pointed out, while AI assistants are handy for everyday tasks, their inability to reliably report news is a significant liability. This Black Ops 7 glitch might seem trivial, but it’s a stark reminder of AI’s limitations, especially when it comes to breaking news or newly released media. We’ve already seen AI chatbots spread misinformation in far more serious contexts—like Grok’s viral claim that the Charlie Kirk shooting was a hoax. As more people turn to AI for fact-checking, particularly during volatile events, these inaccuracies could have dangerous consequences.
So, here’s the question for you: Is this just a harmless glitch, or does it signal a deeper problem with how we rely on AI for information? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear whether you think this is a minor hiccup or a major red flag.
