Google AI Overview calls fiddler a sex offender; he sues for $1.5M

The Sipekne'katik First Nation in Nova Scotia canceled a December 19, 2025, show by Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac. Before canceling, the community showed him a Google AI Overview. It said he had convictions for sexual assault and internet luring and was on the national sex offender registry. None of it was true. The claims came from articles about a different Atlantic Canadian man with the same surname. The First Nation publicly apologized for the harm to his reputation and livelihood. Google said it uses such errors to improve its systems. In February 2026, MacIsaac sued Google in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for $1.5 million, alleging defective design. The claims have not been tested in court.