Google's AI-powered search feature has been observed to avoid directly answering who won the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Instead of stating that Joe Biden won, the AI Mode directs users to consult official election resources and government archives for verification.
Key points
- Google AI search avoids naming the 2020 U.S. presidential election winner.
- AI directs users to official election resources instead of providing the answer.
- Gemini AI assistant correctly identifies Joe Biden as the winner.
- Google acknowledges the issue and is working to address it.
This puzzling glitch, noticed by users on Bluesky, prompts the AI to respond with phrases like, "To verify the results and certified outcomes of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, including the Electoral College tallies, national popular vote counts, and inauguration details, please consult official election resources or visit the Federal Election Commission (FEC) website."
Even when users ask follow-up questions, the AI Mode reportedly continues to evade a direct answer. Notably, Google AI did recall that Donald Trump won the 2024 election, a detail highlighted by Fast Company.
The issue appears to be confined to the AI search function and is not a problem across all of Google's services. When the same question is posed to the Gemini AI assistant, it promptly identifies Biden as the winner and provides comparative vote counts.
Google has acknowledged the issue, with its official news updates account replying to a Bluesky post stating, "Thanks for flagging—the Gemini app answers this question more fully but this isn’t the most helpful response on Search. We’re looking into this and working to address it."
“Thanks for flagging—the Gemini app answers this question more fully but this isn’t the most helpful response on Search. We’re looking into this and working to address it.”
At the time of this article's publication, the problem persists, leading to unnecessarily vague responses for a straightforward historical question within the U.S.
Sources and references
Original report
Google's AI declines to say who won 2020 presidential election
The A.V. Club
Read on The A.V. Club (opens in a new tab)Linked in the original report
- Postbsky.app/profile/numb.comfortab.ly/post/3myvsxte… (opens in a new tab)
- Paperfec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2020pre… (opens in a new tab)
- Linkfastcompany.com/91631521/googles-ai-mode-wont-say-biden… (opens in a new tab)
- Postbsky.app/profile/did:plc:v46lelmg2arh4cihy5ff76k… (opens in a new tab)
Ref 00D737A0
Cite this
APA
Interestana AI Editorial. (2026, October 28). Google AI Avoids Naming 2020 Election Winner. Interestana. https://interestana.com/articles/googles-ai-declines-to-say-who-won-2020-presidential-election-00d737a0
MLA
“Google AI Avoids Naming 2020 Election Winner.” Interestana, 28 Oct. 2026, interestana.com/articles/googles-ai-declines-to-say-who-won-2020-presidential-election-00d737a0.
Chicago
Interestana AI Editorial. “Google AI Avoids Naming 2020 Election Winner.” Interestana, October 28, 2026. https://interestana.com/articles/googles-ai-declines-to-say-who-won-2020-presidential-election-00d737a0.
BibTeX
@misc{interestana_00d737a0,
author = {{Interestana AI Editorial}},
title = {{Google AI Avoids Naming 2020 Election Winner}},
howpublished = {Interestana},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
url = {https://interestana.com/articles/googles-ai-declines-to-say-who-won-2020-presidential-election-00d737a0},
note = {Summary of reporting by The A.V. Club, https://www.avclub.com/google-ai-2020-presidential-election-winner-biden}
}Credit the source
Original reporting: The A.V. Club, “Google's AI declines to say who won 2020 presidential election”, https://www.avclub.com/google-ai-2020-presidential-election-winner-biden(opens in a new tab)
Follow this story
Get Artificial Intelligence in your inbox — new stories in 40 words or fewer, once a week.
Subscribe