Hey, Google — is Santa real? How AI is ruining Christmas for kids
NY Post
AI is the new Grinch that’s stealing Christmas.
Nervous laughter was Kelly Bowron’s visceral, hysterical response to her son learning the truth about Santa Claus Tuesday — courtesy of a Google search.
Her Leo, 11 — whose belief in the jolly fat man had remained firmly intact from childhood to preadolescence until this week — simply wanted to know St. Nick’s spending budget, per child, worldwide.
Unfortunately, Google’s AI overview instantly turned his merry curiosity into holiday dismay with its answer, reading, “There is no set amount Santa spends per child, as he is a fictional character.”
“He screamed, ‘A fictional character?’ ” Bowron, a UK mother of two, told The Post. “And I was shocked, laughing in disbelief, telling him, ‘No, no. Google doesn’t always tell the truth. I still believe in Santa. Don’t listen to Google.’ ”
A Google spokesperson told The Post that, despite its AI overview — which derives responses from top-trending web content — the company “believes in Santa,” noting that the site even features a dedicated Santa tracker, counting down the days until his big night.
