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☆ It's not just you: Reddit is taking over Google
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In February, Google and Reddit announced a blockbuster deal that would let Google train its AI models on Reddit content. Google said the deal, reportedly worth $60 million, would "facilitate more content-forward displays of Reddit information," leading to some speculation that Google promised Reddit better visibility in exchange for the valuable training data. Per Sistrix data, Reddit is now as visible in top Google Search results as Instagram. Google CEO Sundar Pichai on stage at Google IO 2023 JOSH EDELSON/GETTYGoogle's Reddit deal and its endorsement of Reddit content in Search show how much it sees Reddit as a crucial part of the future of search. AdvertisementYouTube already has heaps of videos offering advice on hijacking Reddit to rise to the top of Google Search.

Persons: —, Semrush, Reddit, It's, Steve Paine, Paine, we've, Danny Sullivan, Prabhakar Raghavan, Sundar Pichai, JOSH EDELSON, Aleyda Solis, Orainti, Glen Allsopp, Solis, Lily Ray, Ray, Perplexity, Steve Huffman Greg Doherty, Sistrix's Paine, Natalie Slater Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Sistrix, YouTube, Amazon, LinkedIn, Getty Locations: SEOs, Reddit, TikTok

☆ Google's AI search tool doesn't seem to have mastered math yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google's AI search tool got simple mathematics wrong, a review by The Washington Post said. The experimental tool, Search Generative Experience, was introduced in May. AdvertisementGoogle's AI search tool appears to struggle when it comes to simple mathematics. Google previously said it was "supercharging" and "improving" its search experience with a generative AI-infused version called Search Generative Experience (SGE). AdvertisementThe company told the FT, "With our generative AI experiments in Search, we've already served billions of queries, and we're seeing positive Search query growth in all of our major markets.

Persons: —, Geoffrey A, Fowler, we're, you'll, SGE, Mark Zuckerberg's, we've, Google didn't Organizations: Washington Post, Google, Financial Times, Service

☆ AI Is Upending Google's Search Business. a Lady Gaga Query Shows How.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Kali Hays | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Search versus SGESince December, Business Insider has plugged the same queries into Google's traditional search engine and its generative AI version to see how information is presented differently. Mark Mahaney, a top internet analyst at ISI Evercore, has been testing SGE alongside generative AI rivals like Perplexity and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Ray has spotted answers in SGE results that are not sourced from websites that rank in the top 100 positions for that query in traditional Search results. Neither query produced any sort of generative AI response — although a search for "common cold" did. They've already got billions of people using Chrome and using Google search," Shmulik told BI.

Persons: It's, Mark Mahaney, Mahaney, SGE, Adweek, Alan Antin, Google's SGE, Gaga's, Gaga, Tiffany, Kali Hays, Google's, Sundar Pichai, Lily Ray, Ray, Mark Shmulik, Bernstein, Susan Orlean, Evercore's Mahoney, we're, Bernstein's, Shmulik, he's, ChatGPT Organizations: Google, Business, Microsoft, Gartner, ISI, New York Magazine, BI, GitHub, LinkedIn, SGE, Bing Locations: SGE, OpenAI

☆ Top websites block Google from training AI models on their data. Nowhere near as much as OpenAI, though.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google launched a new tool that lets publishers opt out of training Google's AI models. It turns out that all this content has been stored in datasets that are the foundation for training powerful AI models, including those from OpenAI, Google, Meta, and others. Part of Google's response has been to launch a new tool that lets websites block the company from using their content for training AI models. BI asked Originality.ai CEO Jonathan Gillham why Google-Extended is being used less than other AI training data-blockers. It's unclear if the company will launch this fully in the future, or how much different it will be from the traditional Google search engine.

Persons: —, There's, Robots.txt, Jonathan Gillham, Gillham, Axel Springer Organizations: Google, Service, New York Times, CNN, BBC, Business Locations: Chicago

☆ UK's Sage reports 18% rise in annual operating profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Software company Sage (SGE.L) reported a 18% rise in full-year underlying operating profit to 456 million pounds ($568 million) on Wednesday after its margin rose to 20.9%, and it said the margin would continue to increase this year. "Looking ahead, we expect organic total revenue growth in FY24 to be broadly in line with FY23," it said. "Operating margins are expected to trend upwards in FY24 and beyond, as we focus on efficiently scaling the group." The company also said it would start a 350 million pound share buyback programme which would run until next April. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds)Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah YoungOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Sandle, Sarah Young Organizations: Software, Thomson Locations: British

☆ You can now use AI in Google to help with your holiday shopping. Here's how
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Jake Piazza | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google announced Thursday new artificial intelligence tools that can help you with holiday shopping. So, if you're shopping for a 4-year-old nephew this year, it can help you find ideas on what he might like with a command like "gifts for a 4-year-old who likes science." It's the first time that generative artificial intelligence is available in Google Shopping, and comes ahead of the holiday season which might attract people to use the site over other options. People can opt into the new options by going into Search Labs and turning on Search Generative Experiences (SGE.) So, if you wanted to search for a "puffy, colorful metallic-looking jacket" it might return results like the picture below:

Persons: King, King of Prussia Organizations: Google, National Retail Federation, Search Labs Locations: Prussia, King, King of Prussia , Pennsylvania

☆ Google considers subscription business models for its new AI offerings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The CEO said subscription business models are "a possible path" for Google's AI products. AdvertisementAdvertisementGoogle CEO Sundar Pichai suggested the company could embrace subscription business models for some of its new AI products. With AI, the CEO said there's an opportunity to evolve Search and the Google Assistant service over the next decade. Wall Street is nervous about any big changes to Google Search because Search ads are so lucrative. Google's "other" revenue rose 21% year-on-year in the third quarter, led by strong growth in YouTube subscription revenue.

Persons: Pichai, Bard, —, Sundar Pichai, Morgan Stanley, Brian Nowak, Nowak, Google Bard, there's, they're Organizations: Service, Google, YouTube, NFL, NFL Sunday

☆ Wall Street wants to know how Google's going to profit from AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In the age of AI hype, few companies have used the word "AI" more than Google. Now, Wall Street wants know how it'll turn the hyped tech into dollars and cents. With SGE, Pichai said it'll be able to include "a wider range of sources on the results page, creating new opportunities for content to be discovered." Pichai added that with AI, he sees the opportunity to "evolve search and assistant for the next decade ahead." "It's probably the ultimate example of AI," Pichai said in response to Sheridan's question.

Persons: Bard, Lloyd Walmsley, Pichai, Brian Nowak, Morgan Stanley, Nowak, it'll, Philipp Schindler, we're, Schindler, UBS's Eric Sheridan, execs, Max, Google's, It's Organizations: Google, Deutsche Bank, YouTube, CNBC, Samsung, Toyota

Those summaries appear on the top of the Google search homepage, with links to “dig deeper,” according to Google’s overview of SGE. Most significantly, publishers want to be compensated for the content on which Google and other AI companies train their AI tools – a major sticking point around AI. In late September Google announced a new tool, called Google-Extended, that gives publishers the option to block their content from being used by Google to train its AI models. Publishers want clicks to secure advertisers, and showing up in Google search is key to their business. When given the option, websites are blocking their content from being used for AI if doing so doesn’t impact search, according to exclusive data from AI content detector Originality.ai.

Persons: Annegret, Jon Fosse ”, –, Japan –, ”, Danielle Coffey, Forrester, Nikhil Lai, “, Helen Coster, Kenneth Li, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Google, Arena, REUTERS, NPR, The New York Times, Reuters, News Media Alliance, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, United States, India, Japan, Paris, SGE

☆ Google, Microsoft, and Meta can't stop talking about A.I. — here's why Apple rarely mentions it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty ImagesMicrosoft, Google and Meta are rallying everyone around AI, even though the future is murkyGoogle launched Bard AI, it's own chatbot to rival Microsoft and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Google, for example, has announced its plans to revamp its search engine using an AI model called Search Generative Experience. Google and Pichai say that the company's text-generating AI models will make its search engine better and could even answer questions that normal Google search can't. Zuckerberg was effusive about AI technology and its applications in virtual reality, ad targeting and recommending content from accounts users don't follow. UBS analyst Lloyd Walmsley wrote this week that generative AI was still an "overhang" over Google.

Persons: Tim Cook, Narendra Modi, Stefani Reynolds, ChatGPT, Jonathan Raa, OpenAI's, Amy Hood, we'll, Nadella, Pichai, it's, Zuckerberg, Meta, Bing, Gartner, Mark Murphy, Laura Martin, Lloyd Walmsley, monetization, Walmsley, Scott Olson Organizations: India's, White, AFP, Getty, Microsoft, Google, Nurphoto, Meta, Apple, Big Tech, Nvidia, Venture, JPMorgan, UBS Locations: Washington ,, iPhones, Brussels, Belgium, Chicago

☆ Google points to many ways it can win in A.I. even as online ad market shows cracks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Google's revenue rose 7% to $74.6 billion from $69.7 billion in the year-earlier period, topping analysts' estimates. Google's ad revenue only increased 3.3% from a year earlier, but that's an improvement from the first quarter, when ad revenue fell. Search revenue, which makes up the majority of Google's ad business, also saw steady growth. AI companies are flocking to Google's cloud technology so they can run the compute-heavy projects that are only available in a few places. Google's cloud business, which turned profitable in the first quarter, saw revenue increase 28% in the second quarter to $8 billion, topping analysts' estimates.

Persons: Snap's, Michael Nathanson, Moffett Nathanson, Bing, Sundar Pichai, Pichai, we'd, Dan Ives Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services Locations: OpenAI

☆ Alphabet to report second-quarter results after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Alphabet will report second-quarter earnings after the close of regular trading on Tuesday. Revenue: $72.82 billion, according to Refinitiv. $72.82 billion, according to Refinitiv. $7.87 billion, according to StreetAccount. Google Cloud, which competes with infrastructure offerings from Amazon and Microsoft , is expected to report growth of 25%.

Persons: Bard, —, Sundar Pichai's Organizations: Google, CNBC, Big Tech, Microsoft, Workers Locations: Refinitiv

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.7% higher, tracking overnight gains in Wall Street. Shares of Sage Group Plc (SGE.L) gained 5.1% to a 23-year high after J.P. Morgan upgraded its rating on the stock to "overweight" from "neutral". Shares of chip equipment maker ASML Holding (ASML.AS) rose 2.3% while Nordic Semiconductor (NOD.OL) jumped 6.4%, making technology (.SX8P) among the top European sectoral gainers. Semiconductor shares were in focus after a report stated the U.S. was considering new restrictions on exports of artificial intelligence chips to China. Also boosting the STOXX 600, Roche Holding (ROG.S) gained 1.5% after the U.S. health regulator declined to approve Regeneron's (REGN.O) Eylea drug.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Jerome Powell, what's, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Morgan, Hewson, Roche, Morgan Stanley, Christian Klein, Matteo Allievi, Subhranshu Sahu, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Alex Richardson Organizations: Sage Group, UBS, CS, . Federal, ASML, Nordic Semiconductor, Semiconductor, Carrefour, Credit Suisse, SAP, Thomson Locations: Wall, U.S, China, Swiss, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ Meta vs. Alphabet: Wall Street favors one over the other. Our view is not so black and white
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Wall Street analysts continued to favor Meta Platforms (META) over Alphabet (GOOGL), sending shares of META up more than 3% and GOOGL shares just slightly higher Tuesday. Analysts at both firms expressed concern over how the implementation of generative AI might hurt search-related ad revenues and boost expenses. That said, Bernstein and UBS both also acknowledge that longer-term generative AI may very well prove a tailwind for Alphabet. META YTD mountain Meta Platforms YTD performance Meta Platforms, meanwhile, has been getting better reviews. Bottom line Both Meta and Alphabet are likely to benefit from generative AI in the long-term — even if Meta has more clearcut benefits in the near term.

Persons: Bernstein, Bard, MAUs, Instagram, chatbots, Meta, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Beata Zawrzel Organizations: Street, UBS, Citi, Google, Meta, Cannes Lions, Creativity, Instagram, CNBC, Nurphoto, Getty Locations: —

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Meta, Tesla, Disney, Amazon, Boeing, Walmart, Uber & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America upgrades Alliant to buy from neutral Bank of America said shares of the Wisconsin and Iowa energy company are attractive. UBS upgrades Moderna to buy from neutral UBS said the biotech company's pipeline is underappreciated. UBS downgrades Alphabet to neutral from buy UBS said it sees "near-term monetization risk" for the tech giant. Bank of America reiterates Paramount Global as buy Bank of America said the media company is "unique." Loop reiterates Disney as buy Loop said it's standing by its buy rating on the entertainment and parks giant.

Persons: LNT, Goldman Sachs downgrades Tesla, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, TD Cowen, Coinbase, underperform TD Cowen, Wells, Brinker, Williams, Tesla, Bernstein, Uber, Davidson, Roth, Roth MKM, Piper Sandler, Lululemon, Piper, LULU Organizations: Bank of America, of America, UBS, Moderna, Walmart, Amazon Prime, BTC, BMO, Sherwin, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche, Citi, Boeing, WSFS Financial Corporation, Networks, TAM, Meta, Paramount Global, Brunswick Locations: Wisconsin, Iowa, China

☆ British software group Sage upgrades revenue forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) - Sage (SGE.L), a British provider of software to small and medium-sized companies, upgraded its full-year organic recurring revenue growth forecast to around 11% on Wednesday after a strong first half. It had previously expected growth to be above the 9% level achieved in its last financial year. Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah YoungOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ LSEG, Experian shares weigh on UK's FTSE 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The financial services sector (.FTUB3020) slid 1.1% while the broader FTSE 100 (.FTSE) shed 0.1%. Shares of Experian Plc (EXPN.L) slipped after the credit data firm forecast annual organic revenue to grow between 4% and 6%, while analysts were expecting a 5.8% growth. "In early trade, the market looks to be taking a cautious approach (with Experian's shares)," said Steve Clayton, head of equity funds, Hargreaves Lansdown. Among other movers, Watches of Switzerland Group Plc (WOSG.L) slumped 7.4% on a marginal sales decline in the first quarter. Bucking the sombre mood, Sage Group Plc (SGE.L) rose 3.6% after upgrading its annual organic recurring revenue growth forecast.

☆ Google's new A.I. search could hurt traffic to websites, publishers worry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Instead of "ten blue links," the phrase that describes Google's usual search results, Google will show some users paragraphs of AI-generated text and a handful of links at the top of the results page. But website publishers are already worried if it becomes Google's default way of presenting search results, it could hurt them by sending fewer visitors to their sites and keeping them on Google.com. Rutledge Daugette, CEO of TechRaptor, a site focusing on gaming news and reviews, said Google's move was made without considering the interests of publishers and Google's AI amounts to lifting content. According to Search Engine Land, a news website that closely tracks changes to Google's search engine, the AI-generated results are displayed above the organic search results in testing so far. CNBC previously reported Google's plans to redesign its results page to promote generated AI content.

FRANKFURT, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Hellman & Friedman (H&F) is weighing options for its Italian cloud software maker TeamSystem, a business which could be valued at several billion euros, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Private equity investors are showing interest in TeamSystem, which may also attract sovereign wealth funds, they said. Hellman & Friedman acquired TeamSystem in 2016 and in 2021 moved the company from one of its funds to another. TeamSystem, which was founded in 1979, generated revenue of 545 million euros in 2021, while posting adjusted core earnings of around 235 million euros, according to company results on its website. While a decision on its valuation is still in flux, that could mean more than 6 billion euros including debt, the person said.

☆ FTSE 100 tracks global risk-off mood; Petrofac plummets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 down 0.6%Petrofac plummets to all time lowSage group slumps to bottom of FTSE 100Dec 20 (Reuters) - UK's export-oriented FTSE 100 index fell on Tuesday as investors turned risk-averse after the Bank of Japan unexpectedly tweaked its monetary policy, while oil services provider Petrofac dropped to an all-time low. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.2%, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 was off 0.6%. The Europe-wide STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) was down 0.5%. Weighing on global equities, the Bank of Japan widened long-term yield controls that allow long-term interest rates to rise more. Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain's Sage sees more margin growth after 8% rise in profit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - British software company Sage Group (SGE.L) reported an 8% rise in full-year organic operating profit to 383 million pounds ($455 million) on Wednesday, driven by an improvement in its margin that it expects will continue this year. The company, which supplies accountancy and payroll software to small businesses, reported total revenue of 1.95 billion pounds for the 12 months to end-September, in line with average market expectations. ($1 = 0.8415 pounds)Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah YoungOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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