Canadian fiddle player Ashley MacIsaac has launched a $1.5 million civil lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant defamed him by falsely identifying him as a sex offender in an AI-generated summary of his life and career.
Lawsuit Details
MacIsaac, a three-time Juno Award-winning musician, filed the claim in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, asserting that Google is liable for the “foreseeable republication” of its AI Overview feature. The AI-generated content falsely claimed that MacIsaac had been convicted of multiple criminal offenses, including sexual assault, internet luring involving a child with intent to sexually assault, and assault causing bodily harm.
The AI Overview also wrongly stated that MacIsaac had been listed on the national sex offender registry for life, according to the lawsuit.
“As the creator and operator of the AI overview, Google is also liable for injuries and losses arising from the AI overview’s defective design,” the lawsuit states. “Google knew, or ought to have known, that the AI overview was imperfect and could return information that was untrue.”
Damages Sought
MacIsaac is seeking $500,000 in general damages, $500,000 in aggravated damages, and $500,000 in punitive damages.
Impact on Career
MacIsaac learned of the inaccurate information when the Sipekne’katik First Nation cancelled a concert appearance planned for December 19, after members of the public complained, citing the misinformation they read on Google.
The Sipekne’katik First Nation later issued a public apology to MacIsaac, stating: “Decisions were based on incorrect information generated through an AI-assisted search, which mistakenly associated you with offenses unrelated to you. We deeply regret the harm this caused to your reputation and livelihood.”
MacIsaac previously told the Canadian Press that the misinformation left him with a “tangible fear” about performing. “I feared for my own safety going on stage because of what I was labelled as. And I don’t know how long this will follow me,” he said.
Google’s Response
The lawsuit alleges that Google never contacted MacIsaac or offered an apology over the error. “Google’s cavalier and indifferent response to its publication of utterly false statements claiming that MacIsaac committed serious sexual offenses, including offenses involving children, justifies the award of aggravated and/or punitive damages,” the lawsuit states.
“If a human spokesperson made these false allegations on Google’s behalf, a significant award of punitive damages would be warranted. Google should not have lesser liability because the defamatory statements were published by software that Google created and controls.”
In a statement via his lawyers, MacIsaac told the Guardian: “When I first discovered the false statements Google was publishing about me, I felt I needed to speak out to the media to clear my name and bring attention to the issue … I believe this is a serious issue that needs to be resolved in the courts. I do not want to do or say anything that may hinder the lawsuit’s progress, or distract attention from this issue.”
The Guardian has reached out to Google for comment. In December, when MacIsaac began speaking to the press, a spokesperson for the company said: “AI Overviews frequently improve to show the most helpful information, and we invest significantly in the quality of responses. When issues arise – like if our features misinterpret web content or miss some context – we use those examples to improve our systems and may take action under our policies.”
Google’s AI Overview about MacIsaac now includes the statement: “In late 2025 and 2026, he made headlines for taking legal action against Google.”
