From Google's gaffe to CrowdStrike outage: 2024's biggest business blunders
What's the story
In 2024, business failures were widespread, with companies in various sectors grappling with blunders ranging from AI missteps to technological glitches and manufacturing errors. From Google's AI fiasco advising users to eat glue to CrowdStrike's disastrous software glitch, these high-profile corporate missteps captured headlines and served as cautionary tales for the year.
Tech blunder
Google's AI suggested putting glue on pizza
In May, Google launched AI Overviews, a feature aimed at offering AI-generated summaries for search queries. However, the new feature soon became the center of a major blunder when it advised users to put glue on their pizza as a solution to cheese falling off. The advice was traced back to an old Reddit thread and drew widespread criticism online. Google defended its tech and scaled back the number of AI search results in June to prevent such gaffes.
Cybersecurity failure
CrowdStrike's disastrous software glitch
In what is being termed as the most disastrous software glitch in history, cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike suffered a major blow. Back in July, the company had released a faulty software update that impacted some 8.5 million devices running on Windows OS. The glitch led to widespread system crashes for all Windows subscribers, resulting in huge financial losses across industries. Delta Air Lines and others had to cancel thousands of flights due to system disruptions caused by this error.
Streaming issue
Netflix crashed during Mike Tyson v/s Jake Paul boxing match
Netflix faced a significant outage in India and the United States during the live stream of the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match at AT&T Stadium in Texas. The disruption, confirmed by Downdetector.com, sparked widespread frustration among users. Social media buzzed with the hashtag #NetflixCrash, with most complaints focused on video streaming issues Users in both countries also reported app and server connection problems, hampering their viewing experience. The event peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, as per Netflix.
Aviation woes
Boeing's crises and production halt
Once a symbol of US industrial strength and aerospace engineering, Boeing faced a series of crises this year. In January, the rear door of a Boeing Max 9 detached mid-flight and landed in a Portland teacher's backyard. The incident led to the grounding of Max 9 jets by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a halt in production. The FAA ordered Boeing to create a corrective plan and conducted an audit of the Seattle-based manufacturer, further tarnishing its reputation.
Packaging error
Mattel's inappropriate website link on children's toy packaging
Leading toymaker Mattel made a huge blunder with the release of a commemorative toy for the film adaptation of Wicked. The doll's packaging featured a link to an adult website instead of the movie's official site. The blunder resulted in the dolls being pulled from major retailers such as Target and Kohls, and Amazon. A South Carolina mother has sued Mattel seeking $5 million in damages after her four-year-old daughter visited the inappropriate website.
Misguided campaign
Jaguar Land Rover's controversial EV teaser
British luxury carmaker Jaguar faced a lot of criticism over its rebranding efforts. The company released a 30-second teaser for its new electric vehicle (EV) on November 19. However, the ad didn't feature any cars and was criticized for its confusing messaging and perceived 'woke' overtones. This got Jaguar Land Rover embroiled in cultural debates, despite not intending to.