A Meta translation error sparked outrage this week after Facebook’s auto-translate system falsely claimed that the chief minister of Karnataka, India, had passed away. The platform has since apologized and fixed the issue, but not before the mistranslation went viral.
The error occurred when Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posted a condolence message in Kannada, mourning the death of veteran actress B. Saroja Devi. Meta’s auto-translation incorrectly stated that Siddaramaiah himself had died, causing confusion and concern among readers.
Mistranslation Causes Public Panic
The English translation read:
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah passed away yesterday multilingual star, senior actress B. Took darshan of Saroja Devi’s earthly body and paid his last respects.”
This bizarre and misleading phrasing was generated automatically by Meta’s AI systems. The Meta translation error was brief but highly visible, especially since Facebook and Instagram often display auto-translations by default in users’ feeds.
Meta has since acknowledged the mistake and issued a public apology.
“We fixed an issue that briefly caused this inaccurate Kannada translation. We apologize that this happened,” said a Meta spokesperson.
Siddaramaiah Responds Publicly
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed the matter on X (formerly Twitter), criticizing the company’s lack of oversight:
“Faulty auto-translation of Kannada content on Meta platforms is distorting facts and misleading users. This is especially dangerous when it comes to official communications.”
He went on to urge users not to share misinformation, clarifying that the original Kannada post remained unchanged and could still be viewed by selecting “See original” on the post.
“It is time Meta puts in place better and more responsible translation systems,” Siddaramaiah concluded.
Kannada Language Context
Kannada is spoken by approximately 50 million people and is the official language of Karnataka, a state in southern India. While it’s widely used, its digital presence still faces limitations, particularly in translation technology.
This incident shows the danger of poor localization. It also highlights the need for better AI translations—especially for official messages and regional languages.
Conclusion
The Meta translation error may have lasted only a short time, but its impact was significant. Misinformation—especially about a sitting government leader—is no small matter.
As AI continues to power translations across platforms, companies like Meta must ensure their systems are accurate, culturally aware, and transparent. Otherwise, a single mistranslation can cause global embarrassment and local chaos.
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