Why Google Is Convinced A 20-Year-Old Prank Planet Is Officially Part Of Star Wars

The best science-fiction mirrors real life, and Star Wars is no exception. To be sure, Star Wars is more space opera than pure science-fiction; but it still incorporates so many iconic sci-fi concepts. When George Lucas created Star Wars, he adapted some of his favorite ideas from science-fiction; Star Wars riffed on Dune, Flash Gordon, and so much more. And though we’re no closer to inventing hyperspace travel, we have at least made real progress on one key aspect of Star Wars’ imported lore.

I’m talking, of course, about AI. That said, nobody is going to make the mistake of thinking Chat-GPT or Google’s AIOs are in any way equal to R2-D2 or C-3PO; Threepio is far smarter than any AI we’ve made to date. A couple of years ago, we were delighted to discover Google had mistaken Jedi Ezra Bridger as a Sith Lord because of a fanfic, of all things. Now, though, we’ve found one better; a delightful occasion where Google unwittingly replicates a long-standing Wikipedia error.

How A Fake Star Wars Planet Drifted Into Google

Welcome to Coular Peen IV, a planet situated on the Perlemian Trade Route. Until recently, Google said this is located in the Syrom System, and Anakin Skywalker traveled there during the Clone Wars. It’s featured in Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, 2nd Edition Revised & Expanded, which sounds pretty authoritative. There’s just one problem; Coular Peen IV does not exist. It never has, even though it has been mentioned in a Star Wars quiz book, of all things.

Star Wars has its own official Wiki, Wookieepedia, which means most fans don’t really look at the real Wikpedia too often. I first heard of Coular Peen IV back in October, when fans briefly laughed at how Wikipedia conflates two alien races: the Yuuzhan Vong and the Grysk, who occupy a similar space as alien threats on the borders of the Unknown Regions, but are really very different. Read Star Wars happily shared how, 20 years ago while in 2nd grade, he and his friend made up the planet “Coular Peen IV” and added it to Wikipedia.

It’s the kind of deep lore nobody ever checks. At some point, someone picked up on Coular Peen IV and added it to a quiz book; it’s now slipped into a few fan Wikis. And then, delightfully, Google’s AIOs briefly picked up on the hoax. Amused, I tested it myself, and found it worked; this nonsense planet, added to Wikipedia 20 years ago as a joke, really did appear in Google’s AIOs. The AI appears to have since been reprogrammed a little to interpret “Coular Peen IV” as a search for color pens, but you can still confuse it by adding “Wikipedia” to the search.

The point, of course, is simple: Google’s AIOs do not actually know anything at all. They simply browse the internet, pulling out whatever they find and reproducing it, however accurate (or inaccurate) it may be. This is something I’ve seen with other AIs. I occasionally stress-test ChatGPT by asking it to tell me five little-known facts about Jedi Master Mace Windu; it’s improved (the first time, half of them were made up, and one was from a fanfic I’d written myself). But we’re still down to two out of 10 that are gibberish.

20 years ago, while at university, I was told to test everything I found on Wikipedia; not to trust it unless I’d verified it independently. I’d strongly recommend the same with AIOs, ChatGPT, and the like; take everything with a pinch of salt. In everything, not just with Star Wars. That said… I can’t help wondering if the AIO is about to improve by referencing this article, rather than a Wikipedia error. Only time will tell.

Found an error? Send it info@screenrant.com so it can be corrected.