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☆ 'Grandpa Google': Search head testifies that young users see it as out of style
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As Google fights claims that it violated antitrust law to maintain its online search dominance, the company's search lead testified Thursday that young users mock Google as old-fashioned. Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior vice president responsible for for products including search, ads and commerce, said that some young users have referred to the search engine as "Grandpa Google." Raghavan testified that Yahoo's search dominance at one point seemed insurmountable. For example, Google has conducted research that's led to features that let it directly answer users' questions, understand voice queries and lens queries, where users search via a photo they take. "We don't see users carrying through these journeys entirely on Google," Raghavan testified.

Persons: Prabhakar Raghavan, Google, It's, Raghavan, Bing, that's Organizations: Google Inc, Google, Department of Justice, Yahoo, CNBC, YouTube Locations: San Francisco , California

In a court filing last month, Google argued that it needed its privacy in an antitrust trial that would spotlight its dominance in online search. It was part of a pattern of Google’s pushing to limit transparency in the federal government’s first monopoly trial of the modern internet era. v. Google, enters its third week in court, it is shaping up to be perhaps the most secretive antitrust trial of the last few decades. Not only has Google argued for the landmark trial to be largely closed off to the public, but so have other companies that are involved, such as Apple and Microsoft. Apple even fought to quash subpoenas, describing them as “unduly burdensome,” to get its executives out of giving testimony.

Organizations: Google, New York Times, Apple, Microsoft

☆ Family sues Google alleging its Maps app led father to drive off collapsed bridge to his death, attorneys say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jamiel Lynch | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The lawsuit claims neighbors had expressed concern Google Maps had led drivers over the bridge, which allegedly has not been repaired since its partial collapse in 2013. GPS sends people down here, which is especially dangerous for emergency vehicles,” reads the report sent to Google Maps. The suit claims negligence and willful and wanton conduct by the companies and seeks an unspecified amount in punitive damages. Google has “the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family,” it told CNN in a statement. “His trust in Google Maps, and the failure of the road and bridge-keepers to do their jobs, cost him his life.”

Persons: Philip Paxson, Paxson, “, Hickory, ” Paxson, Robert Zimmerman, “ We’ve, ”, codefendants, Hinckley Gauvain, Alicia, Alicia Paxson, Philip, Larry Bendesky Organizations: CNN, Google, GPS, ” CNN, Hinckley Locations: North Carolina, Hickory , North Carolina

☆ Google recently cut 'people' from its Search guidelines. Now, website owners say a flood of AI content is pushing them down in search results.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"This is a joke," another person wrote on a forum for website owners . No longer is it "helpful content written by people, for people," but simply, "Helpful content written for people." She watched pages that previously ranked first for certain terms tumble to fifth, sixth, or seventh place in Google search results. Spotting AI content is impossibleIt's unclear how much of the content that has been bumped up is AI-generated, or whether this is just other content written differently by humans. AdvertisementAdvertisementGoogle continues to say that content built entirely for the purpose or ranking high in search results will be punished.

Persons: Morgan Overholt, I've, –, Barry Schwartz, Overholt, they've, John Mueller, Schwartz, Mueller, Johannes Vermeer Organizations: Google, Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ AI tools make things up a lot, and that’s a huge problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But as more people turn to this buzzy technology for things like homework help, workplace research, or health inquiries, one of its biggest pitfalls is becoming increasingly apparent: AI models often just make things up. Researchers have come to refer to this tendency of AI models to spew inaccurate information as “hallucinations,” or even “confabulations,” as Meta’s AI chief said in a tweet. A number of high-profile hallucinations from AI tools have already made headlines. Cracking down on AI hallucinations, however, could limit AI tools’ ability to help people with more creative endeavors — like users that are asking ChatGPT to write poetry or song lyrics. How to prevent or fix AI hallucinations is a “point of active research,” Venkatasubramanian said, but at present is very complicated.

Persons: Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Venkatasubramanian, ”, ” Venkatasubramanian, West, Bard, James Webb, ChatGPT, they’re, ” West, Google’s Bard, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Sundar Pichai, Pichai, “, Sam Altman, OpenAI Organizations: CNN, Brown University, ” Companies, University of Washington, Center, Google, James Webb Space Telescope, New, CNET, CBS, Indraprastha, of Information Technology Locations: United States, New York, Delhi

☆ Alphabet moonshots are ready for launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Alphabet logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Alphabet (GOOGL.O) is poised to welcome the autumn harvest. Verily boss Stephen Gillett told employees this month that it will cut its ties to several of Alphabet’s services next year. Such a financial services business strays from Alphabet’s wheelhouse, and with artificial intelligence demanding fresh attention, it’s wise to be prudent about capital allocation. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle technology business, secured a vote of approval this month from San Francisco to operate driverless rideshares in the city.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ruth Porat, Morgan Stanley, ”, Stephen Gillett, wheelhouse, Chris Hohn’s, Ford, Porat, Verily, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Life Sciences, Wall Street Journal, Temasek, TCI Fund Investments, Google, Sciences, Wall, Thomson Locations: San Francisco

☆ Tesla's value plunged nearly $200 billion since mid-July – and Elon Musk's EV maker faces a bumpy road ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla's value has fallen nearly $200 billion in just over a month. That's dragged Tesla's market cap down almost $200 billion to about $730 billion as of Tuesday's close, per Google Finance. A mix of inflation, higher interest rates, and recession fears have driven Tesla's decline. Higher interest rates tend to be bad news for high-growth stocks, including Tesla, because it eats away at company profitably through expensive borrowing costs. Investors also get deterred from piling into equities as rising interest rates tend to push up returns on bond investments, making them a safer investment compared to stocks.

Persons: Elon Musk's, That's, Jerome Powell's, Tesla, Gordon Johnson, Cathie Wood, Johnson, she'd Organizations: Elon Musk's carmaker, Service, Elon Musk's, Google Finance, Federal Reserve, Investors, CNBC Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Judge narrows case in Google antitrust suits brought by states and DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A federal judge narrowed the case that states and the Department of Justice can make in the antitrust trial against Google beginning in September, according to a newly-released decision. The cases both alleged that Google illegally maintained a monopoly by cutting off rivals from search distribution channels. The DOJ and a bipartisan group of AGs from 38 states and territories, led by Colorado and Nebraska, filed similar but separate antitrust suits against Google in 2020. In addition to the allegedly exclusionary contracts for search distribution, the states alleged that Google also violated antitrust law through its product to buy search ads and the way it designed its search results pages. But they will no longer be able to bring the claim that Google harmed competition by designing its search results to push down search engine competitors' results, the judge decided.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, It's, Amit Mehta, Mehta, Google's, Kent Walker, Phil Weiser Organizations: Department, Justice, Google, D.C, Department of Justice, DOJ, AGs, Colorado and, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Street Locations: Rayburn, Washington ,, Colorado, Colorado and Nebraska

☆ How a 23-year-old freelancer makes $48,000 in NYC without a college degree
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money. While growing up in a suburb of Washington, D.C., Brunotts always expected to go to college. But after reviewing the potential costs of attending music school in NYC, she ultimately decided against pursuing higher education. She brought in around $48,000 last year and says she's on track to make more this year. When she has earned more than her weekly goal doing work for clients, Kate spends time working on personal music projects.

Persons: Kate Brunotts, Brunotts, I've, Kate, Matt, hadn't, Lauren Shamo, Maherzad Todiwala, she's, she'll, Roth, It's Organizations: CNBC, New York City, Washington , D.C, Center, Citi, Google Fi Locations: New York, Washington ,, NYC, Upwork, Venmo, Brunotts

☆ Nike CEO John Donahoe on how he manages sleep health in a hectic life
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Emily Grill | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Donahoe can't get seven hours of sleep every night, but he said that he tries to hit 70 hours of sleep every 10 days. Hitting this target, rather than exactly how much sleep he gets per night, is a sleep science workaround that the Nike CEO says has been working for him. Sleep science research has consistently shown that the average adult should aim for seven hours of a sleep each night. It's not necessarily always going to be the recommended seven hours of sleep that will ensure a good night's rest, according to sleep experts. In the long term, if you don't get enough sleep, there's health outcomes that can occur."

Persons: I've, Elon Musk, CNBC's David Faber, Bill Gates, John Donahoe, Donahoe, It's, Mark Wu, Wu, Gates, Jagdish Khubchandani, Khubchandani Organizations: Nike, CNBC, Summit, Apple Watch, Google, Johns Hopkins University, National Institute for Occupational Safety, Health, United, Blood Institute, Ball State University, New Mexico State University, Ball Locations: America, U.S, China, Santa Barbara , California, United States

Motorola announced its new Razr and Razr Plus foldable phones on June 1. Motorola's Razr Plus fixes my biggest issue with clamshell-style foldable phonesThe Razr Plus doesn't have the bottom lip that the previous model had, which makes for a cleaner look. Now, the Razr and Razr Plus have a modern clamshell design, where both halves are identical and flat. Motorola's standard Razr could be the most affordable foldable phone you can buyThe standard Razr also lacks the bottom lip of the previous Razr iteration for a cleaner overall look. Motorola Razr and Razr Plus specs

Persons: Antonio Villas, I'm, Villas, Sage, that's, You'll, That's Organizations: Motorola, Spectrum Mobile, Google, Optimum, Boas, Qualcomm, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung, Motorola hasn't, preorder Locations: 165Hz, 144Hz

☆ Google is bringing an AI chatbot to search results. Here's what it's like
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

With the update, the look and feel of Google Search results will be noticeably different. Users can now sign up for a waitlist for the new Google Search, which will first launch in the United States, via the Google app or Chrome’s desktop browser. The new Google Search also offers a Perspectives feature to showcase what other people are buying or thinking about, and factoring that into results. Like ChatGPT, the new Google Search and Bard are built on a large language model. Google previously told CNN that Bard would serve as a separate, complementary experience to Google Search, and planned to “thoughtfully” add large language models to search “in a deeper way” at a later time.

☆ How to get Google's new AI tool to write your emails
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Aaron Mok | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google is launching "Help me write" an AI-tool that can generate responses to emails in Gmail. Users can deploy the tool to request a refund for a cancelled flight, for example. The tool also includes a "Refine" feature that can tweak the generated message's length and tone. In a demonstration of the tool, Pichai used "Help me write" to respond to an email saying that the recipient's flight got cancelled. These features, which will be available to "trusted testers," will eventually be part of Google's "Duet AI for Workspace" service, according to Pappu.

☆ Alphabet to unveil A.I. updates at Google I/O, showing off creative writing and coding capabilities
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

According to internal documents about Google I/O viewed by CNBC, the company will unveil PaLM 2, its most recent and advanced LLM. It's also performed a broad range of coding and math tests as well as creative writing tests and analysis. The updates come as competition ramps up in the AI arm's race, with Google and Microsoft racing to incorporate chat AI technology into their products. Outside of the AI sphere, Google will show off its new foldable phone, The Pixel Fold, as CNBC previously reported. Google plans to market the Pixel Fold as water-resistant and pocket-sized.

☆ Elon Musk once tried to buy DeepMind because he thought Google couldn't be trusted with advanced AI, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk tried to buy DeepMind ahead of Google because of trust issues, a new report says. Elon Musk made a last-minute attempt to buy DeepMind before Google finalized its $500 million deal for the AI lab a decade ago because he feared the search giant couldn't be trusted to create advanced AI, according to a new report. Musk's plans to buy DeepMind were informal and didn't reach DeepMind's board, the Journal reported. He has also criticized the rival AI lab he cofounded, OpenAI, for publicly rolling out tools such as ChatGPT despite issues such as bias. Musk, Google, and DeepMind did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

☆ Fact Check-Anheuser-Busch stock did not hit 52-week high after boycott over sponsorship with trans influencer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In other posts, users said: “So, while the Qrackheads are out there shootin’ up cases of ‘woke’ Bud Light and puttin’ Coors in their Koozies instead… Anheuser-Busch stock just hit a 52-week high?! However, Reuters data shows that the stock hit a nearly-62-week high on March 31, before the boycott, and since April 1, U.S.-listed Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA shares have dipped. Graphics showing Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA stock prices can be seen on the websites of Reuters (here) and Google Finance (here). Reuters has previously debunked claims related to the Bud Light partnership with Mulvaney (here), (here), (here), (here). Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA stock did not hit a 52-week high following a boycott prompted by Bud Light’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney.

☆ Leaked memos show Google is closing some of its cafes 'until further notice' as it cuts back on employee perks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google is closing some of its cafes "until further notice," according to memos sent on Wednesday. As part of its plan to cut costs this year, Google is closing some of its cafes "until further notice." Cafes at Google's campuses are one of the search giant's most famous employee perks as workers have access to free meals. The cafes called Steam, Costa, Go!, Slice, and Deja Brew Hub, and some lunchtime food trucks, will be "closed until further notice." The cafes called Till Cafe, Java Corner, Share, Fresh Market, Cornerstone, and lunchtime food trucks, will be "closed until further notice."

☆ Google contractors say they don't have enough time to verify correct answers from the company's AI chatbot and end up guessing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bot has been tested internally by Googlers, and now contractors are also testing a chatbot. Some contractors say they're not given enough time to rate the most accurate chatbot responses. Because each assigned task represents billable time, some workers say they will complete the tasks even if they realize they cannot accurately assess the chatbot responses. Google raters who work for Appen make between $14 and $14.50 an hour, despite supporting a business that generates most of its revenue from search and advertising. The group estimates that Google employs more than 200,000 people as contractors, who aren't recorded in the company's official headcount.

Multiple experts identified the presence of malware on the Pinduoduo app that exploited vulnerabilities in Android operating systems. Evidence of sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app comes amid intense scrutiny of Chinese-developed apps like TikTok over concerns about data security. Pinduoduo has previously rejected “the speculation and accusation that Pinduoduo app is malicious.”CNN has contacted PDD multiple times over email and phone for comment, but has not received a response. Google Play is not available in China, and Android users in the country download their apps from local stores. Engineers also found their access to big data, data sheets and the log system revoked, the source said.

☆ Potential TikTok ban sends advertisers scrambling
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In recent discussions with ad buyers, TikTok representatives have stuck to the company's current talking points. TikTok employees have played up ongoing plans to separate the user data of Americans and store it in the country. In a section of the email titled "Can the Chinese government request TikTok U.S. user data?" Even with talk of a ban, most advertisers have not changed their spending plans on TikTok, media buyers said, because discussions of a ban have lingered since 2020 without any result. "A ban isn't a ban until it's a ban," he said.

☆ A video game company made a bot the CEO, and its stock climbed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NetDragon Websoft announced last year it had appointed a bot as the CEO of its flagship subsidiary. It said the bot will increase efficiency and make key decisions for the gaming company. In August, the Chinese gaming company NetDragon Websoft announced it had appointed an "AI-powered virtual humanoid robot" named Tang Yu as the chief executive of its subsidiary, Fujian NetDragon Websoft. NetDragon stock has since outperformed the Hang Seng Index, which tracks the biggest companies listed in Hong Kong, per The Hustle. NetDragon, founded in 1999, developed several multi-player games including "Eudemons Online", "Heroes Evolved" and "Conquer Online" as well as China's first online gaming portal, 17173.com.

☆ Google's working on an updated version of its medical A.I. that can answer health questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Google Health team shared updates about features coming to search, tools for building health apps and the latest in artificial intelligence-powered health research. It's designed to provide high-quality responses to medical questions. The company said the second iteration of the technology, Med-PaLM 2, consistently performed at an "expert" level on medical exam questions. Dr. Alan Karthikesalingam, a research lead at Google Health, said the company is also testing Med-PaLM's answers against responses from real doctors and clinicians. In some cases, Med-PaLM 2's answers were on a par, and even more detailed, than the answers that clinicians had provided.

☆ The Google engineer who was fired after claiming the company's chatbot is sentient says AI is the 'most powerful' tech invented 'since the atomic bomb'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Blake Lemoine, a former Google engineer, says AI is the most powerful invention since the atomic bomb. Lemoine was fired by Google in June 2022 after he claimed the company's chatbot is sentient. Now he's warning that the AI bots being developed are the "most powerful" pieces of technology invented "since the atomic bomb." Google fired Lemoine on June 22, saying he violated the company's employee confidentiality policy. A Google spokesperson told Insider in June that there is no evidence to support Lemoine's claims that the company's AI is sentient.

☆ Leaked messages show Googlers are taking out their frustrations over layoffs on its new Bard AI chatbot
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently asked employees to help test and improve its Bard chatbot. Internal message boards show Googlers asking Bard to explain the company's recent moves. In one such conversation reviewed by Insider, an employee asked Bard to imagine an IT company that has laid off 12,000 employees. In another conversation shared by an employee, Bard was asked, "Should Google fire people via email with no thank you or goodbye?" That requires training the bot to steer it away from such subjects, which is why Google asked employees to lend a hand.

☆ Elon Musk, who co-founded firm behind ChatGPT, warns A.I. is 'one of the biggest risks' to civilization
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"One of the biggest risks to the future of civilization is AI," Musk told attendees at the World Government Summit in Dubai, shortly after mentioning the development of ChatGPT. "It's both positive or negative and has great, great promise, great capability," Musk said. ChatGPT "has illustrated to people just how advanced AI has become," according to Musk. "I think we need to regulate AI safety, frankly," Musk said. The billionaire has long warned of the perils of unfettered AI development.

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