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☆ Google Joins Effort to Help Spot Content Made With A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Tiffany Hsu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Google, whose work in artificial intelligence helped make A.I.-generated content far easier to create and spread, now wants to ensure that such content is traceable as well. The tech giant said on Thursday that it was joining an effort to develop credentials for digital content, a sort of “nutrition label” that identifies when and how a photograph, a video, an audio clip or another file was produced or altered — including with A.I. The announcement follows a similar promise announced on Tuesday by Meta, which like Google has enabled the easy creation and distribution of artificially generated content. Its Bard chatbot is connected to some of the company’s most popular consumer services, such as Gmail and Docs. On YouTube, which Google owns and which will be included in the digital credential effort, users can quickly find videos featuring realistic digital avatars pontificating on current events in voices powered by text-to-speech services.

Persons: Meta Organizations: Google, Adobe, BBC, Microsoft, Sony, Meta, YouTube

☆ Google rebrands Bard AI to Gemini
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGoogle rebrands Bard AI to GeminiCNBC's Deirdre Bosa reports on the latest news from Google.

Persons: Gemini, Deirdre Bosa Organizations: Google

☆ What's Google's most 'advanced' ChatGPT challenger like? It'll cost you $19.99 a month to find out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Gemini Advanced is the newest generative AI system to hit the market as part of Google's new AI Premium package, which is available for $19.99 a month. Gemini Advanced is built off the back of Google's Bard chatbot, which was launched last year and is free to use. Gemini Advanced is available in 40 languages online, and will also have mobile functionality via the Google app on iOS. Google's efforts come in the wake of the generative AI craze pioneered by ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI. And Grok, developed by Elon Musk's xAI, is available to premium subscribers on X, formerly Twitter, for $16 per month.

Persons: —, Google's Bard chatbot, Bard, Sissie Hsiao, BI's Hugh Langley, OpenAI, Rufus, Elon Musk's, Google's Bard Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Gmail, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Microsoft, Wall Street Locations: Google's

☆ Google rebrands Bard AI to Gemini: Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGoogle rebrands Bard AI to Gemini: Here's what you need to knowCNBC’s Deirdre Bosa reports on the latest news from Google.

Persons: Deirdre Bosa Organizations: Google

☆ Google's AI product lead explains why the company is doing a 'clean-up' and renaming everything 'Gemini'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google is renaming its AI assistant Bard to Gemini. It's also finally giving users access to Gemini Ultra, its most powerful AI model yet. "It's all sort of a clean-up and embracing of Gemini as our AI brand," Hsiao told BI on Wednesday. It's like, there's a Gemini model, but the product is Bard. A version of Gemini has powered the Bard chatbot since then, although Google stopped short of releasing the most powerful Gemini model, known as Ultra.

Persons: Bard, Gemini, It's, Sissie Hsiao, —, Hsiao, Bard chatbot, OpenAI's ChatGPT, it's Organizations: Google, Gemini, Service, Business

☆ Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on layoffs: Important to create capacity from within to invest for future
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAlphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on layoffs: Important to create capacity from within to invest for futureAlphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the company's AI rebranding from Bard to Gemini, the launch of the paid 'Gemini Advanced' version, how Gemini stacks up against Microsoft and other AI competitors, deepfake concerns, state of the streaming wars, tech layoffs, and more.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Bard, Gemini Organizations: Microsoft

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar PichaiAlphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the company's AI rebranding from Bard to Gemini, the launch of the paid 'Gemini Advanced' version, how Gemini stacks up against Microsoft and other AI competitors, deepfake concerns, state of the streaming wars, tech layoffs, and more.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Bard, Gemini Organizations: Microsoft

☆ Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai: Gemini allows us to push the boundaries of where we need to go
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAlphabet CEO Sundar Pichai: Gemini allows us to push the boundaries of where we need to goAlphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the company's AI rebranding from Bard to Gemini, the launch of the paid 'Gemini Advanced' version, how Gemini stacks up against Microsoft and other AI competitors, deepfake concerns, state of the streaming wars, tech layoffs, and more.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Bard, Gemini Organizations: Microsoft

☆ Google rebrands Bard AI to Gemini and launches a new app and subscription
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Google on Thursday announced a major rebrand of Bard, its artificial intelligence chatbot and assistant, including a fresh app and subscription options. Google also announced new ways for consumers to access the AI tool: As of Thursday, Android users can download a new dedicated Android app for Gemini, and iPhone users can use Gemini within the Google app on iOS. Likewise, chief executives at tech giants from Microsoft to Amazon underlined their commitment to building AI agents as productivity tools. Google's Gemini changes are a first step to "building a true AI assistant," Sissie Hsiao, a vice president at Google and general manager for Google Assistant and Bard, told reporters on a call Wednesday. Currently, though, the tools, including Gemini, are largely limited to tasks such as summarizing, generating to-do lists or helping to write code.

Persons: Bard, OpenAI's, Sundar Pichai, Pichai, Sissie Hsiao, There's, Google's Hsiao, Hsiao Organizations: Google, Bard, Microsoft, GE, Spotify, Pfizer, Gemini Locations: Korean

Google is immediately releasing a standalone Gemini app for smartphones running on its Android software. Photos You Should See View All 15 ImagesThe Gemini app initially will be released in the U.S. in English before expanding to the Asia-Pacific region next week, with versions in Japanese and Korean. Besides the free version of Gemini, Google will be selling an advanced service accessible through the new app for $20 a month. Google is offering a free two-month trial of Gemini Advanced to encourage people to try it out. In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Puchai predicted the technology underlying Gemini Advanced will be able to outthink even the smartest people when tackling many complex topics.

Persons: Bard, Siri, “, Sissie Hsiao, ”, Sundar Puchai, —, ” Pichai, Satya Nadella, ” Nadella, It’ll Organizations: FRANCISCO, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Gemini, Samsung, Inc, OpenAI Locations: U.S, Asia, Pacific, View , California, Mumbai, India, Europe

☆ Google Releases Gemini, an A.I.-Driven Chatbot and Voice Assistant
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Cade Metz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First, there were talking digital assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. Then there were online chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Bard. On Thursday, Google introduced Gemini, a smartphone app that behaves like a talking digital assistant as well as a conversational chatbot. Immediately available to English speakers in more than 150 countries and territories, including the United States, Gemini replaces Bard and Google Assistant. The new app is designed to do an array of tasks, including serving as a personal tutor, helping computer programmers with coding tasks and even preparing job hunters for interviews, Google said.

Persons: Siri, Google Bard, Google Organizations: Google, Gemini Locations: United States

José Altuve and the Houston Astros agreed to a $125 million, five-year contract that covers 2025-29. Altuve has a $26 million salary for 2024 in the final season of a $163.5 million, seven-year deal. The eight-time All-Star second baseman would have been eligible for free agency after this year’s World Series. Altuve will have salaries of $30 million annually from 2025-27 and $10 million apiece in 2028 and ’29. Altuve became the first second baseman guaranteed to top $300 million in career earnings.

Persons: José Altuve, Altuve, Daniel Bard, ___ Organizations: Houston Astros, Houston, Altuve, Major League Baseball, Associated Press, Venezuela, Astros

☆ Tech execs are telling investors they have to spend money to make money on AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

One theme investors heard repeatedly from top execs is that, when it comes to AI, they have to spend money to make money. Last year marked the beginning of the generative AI boom, as companies raced to embed increasingly sophisticated chatbots and assistants across key products. One key priority area, based on the latest earnings calls, is AI models-as-a-service, or large AI models that clients can use and customize according to their needs. Alphabet executives highlighted Vertex AI, a Google product that offers more than 130 generative AI models for use by developers and enterprise clients such as Samsung and Shutterstock. Alphabet executives touted Google's Duet AI, or "packaged AI agents" for Google Workspace and Google Cloud, designed to boost productivity and complete simple tasks.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Mandel Ngan, Satya Nadella, Mark Zuckerberg, Josh Edelson, Zuckerberg, Nadella, Amy Hood, Pichai, You've, durably, Ruth Porat, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Tim Cook, Cook, Thos Robinson, Microsoft's, Rufus, Bard Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, AFP, Getty, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Meta, Google, Amazon, New York Times, Samsung, GE, Spotify, Pfizer Locations: Washington ,, Menlo Park , California, LLMs, New York City

☆ We could have a new member of the $2 trillion market cap club this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

On Monday, Alphabet closed at a market capitalization of $1.91 trillion, less than $100 billion away from a $2 trillion market cap and trailing Microsoft and Apple with market capitalizations last at $3.03 trillion and $2.91 trillion, respectively. Beyond Alphabet Alphabet is close to entering the $2 trillion club, but other prominent mega-cap tech companies are making progress, too. Amazon's market cap finished Monday at $1.64 trillion. The managing partner also sees Meta Platforms as a future $2 trillion market cap candidate. The maker of sophisticated graphics processing units reached a $1 trillion market cap for the first time only in 2023, when it climbed almost 240%.

Persons: Paul Meeks, Meeks, Merrill Lynch, bode, Gene Munster, Dan Ives, Ives, they're, Deepwater's Munster, Wedbush's Ives, Jensen Organizations: Microsoft, Apple, Merrill, Merrill Lynch Investment, Deepwater Asset Management, Amazon Web Services, Munster, Nvidia Locations: U.S

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Big Tech earnings on tap
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. China's luxury reboundChina's luxury sales market is bouncing back. Tech layoffs surgeSilicon Valley's tech companies are slashing headcount at a rapid pace. Since the start of January, some 23,670 workers have been laid off from 85 tech companies, according to the website Layoffs.fyi.

Persons: Google's Bard, Hong, Dow, It's, Brent, Kingsley Jones, Jevons, Tesla, Jones Organizations: Microsoft, CNBC, CSI, Nasdaq, LVMH, Hamas, U.S . West Texas Locations: Asia, Iran, Jordan, U.S

Lawmakers in more than a half-dozen U.S. states are pushing laws to define antisemitism, triggering debates about free speech and bringing complicated world politics into statehouses. Bill supporters say that more than 30 states have adopted the definition in some way over the years. Since the Israel-Hamas war erupted, several states have passed resolutions condemning Hamas and voicing support for Israel. Some protesters gathered in the capitol in Indiana this month before the House unanimously advanced a bill incorporating the definition there. How colleges are acting to prevent or stop antisemitism on campus has become a hot-button issue across the country.

Persons: ”, Esther Panitch, Brian Kemp, Kenneth Stern, Stern, “, Israel, Bill, —, Brian Hauss, they're, Fred Deutsch, Lara Freidman, Ruwa, Yaqoub Saadeh Organizations: Democratic, Georgia's, Republican Gov, Holocaust, Alliance, Bard Center, Jewish Voice, Peace, CAIR, Defamation League, Israel, U.S . State Department, American Jewish Committee, U.S . Congress, American Bar Association, ACLU, Rep, Republican, Foundation for Middle East, Georgia State Rep, Eastern Student Association, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania Locations: statehouses, Israel, Gaza, Georgia, Indiana, South Dakota, New York, Iowa, Virginia, U.S, Palestinian

☆ Earnings playbook: Your guide to the busiest week of the reporting season
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

What history shows: GM beats earnings estimates 87% of the time, according to data from Bespoke Investment Group. Alphabet is set to report earnings after the close. What history shows: Alphabet averages a 1.45% gain after reporting earnings, Bespoke data shows. What history shows: Amazon exceeds earnings expectations 63% of the time, according to Bespoke. What history shows: Meta shares have risen in three of the last four earnings days, per Bespoke, including a 23.3% rally.

Persons: Bard chatbot, Gus Richard, David Palmer, Palmer, MSFT, Jordan Novet, bode, Leslie Josephs, Max, Alaska's, AAPL, AMZN, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Meta, Apple, ., Motors, CNBC, Tuesday, United Auto Workers, LSEG, Investment, AMD, Starbucks, Microsoft, Management, Wednesday Boeing, Alaska Airlines, FAA, Boeing, United Airlines, Web, Mizuho Securities, Nvidia Locations: Northland, China, Alaska

☆ Alphabet cuts ties with Australian AI firm that helped train Bard and Google Search
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai departs federal court on October 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. Appen, based in Australia, has helped train AI models for a star-studded list of tech behemoths. Five customers — Microsoft , Apple , Meta , Google and Amazon — have in the past accounted for 80% of Appen's revenue. Alphabet accounted for roughly one-third of Appen's revenue, meaning the decision to end the relationship will impact "at least two thousand subcontracted Alphabet workers," according to a statement Monday from the Alphabet Workers Union. Alphabet has cut contractual ties with Appen , the artificial intelligence data firm that helped train Google's chatbot Bard, Google Search results and other AI products.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Pichai, Appen, Bard, Appen's, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard, didn't, Bard chatbot Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet Workers, Appen, Revenue, Australian Securities Exchange, CNBC, Adobe, Nvidia, U.S . National Labor Relations Board Locations: Washington ,, Australia

☆ The generative AI future will not be free
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Our paid AI futureToday, we're at the start of a similarly exciting new technology wave with generative AI. Even Google, the master of free online services, is considering paid subscriptions for some of its new AI offerings. So, why will generative AI offerings be paid from the start? One possible answer is that ads may not work as well in this new generative AI future. Charging for new generative AI services is one way to create new earnings.

Persons: —, Chris Anderson, Stephen Colbert, Colbert, Alexa, Insider's Eugene Kim, Sundar Pichai, Bard chatbot, Oren Etzioni, Dave Limp, Etzioni, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, YouTube, Google, Engadget, Alexa, Big Tech, Apple, Microsoft, Meta Locations: Silicon, we're

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Artificial intelligence is easily the biggest buzzword for world leaders and corporate bosses diving into big ideas at the World Economic Forum’s glitzy annual meeting in Davos. In a sign of ChatGPT maker OpenAI’s skyrocketing profile, CEO Sam Altman is making his Davos debut to rock star crowds, with his benefactor, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, hot on his heels. Illustrating AI’s geopolitical importance like few other technologies before it, the word was on the lips of world leaders from China to France. Here's a look at the buzz:OPENAI OPENING BIG AT DAVOSPolitical Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe leadership drama at the AI world's much-ballyhooed chatbot maker followed Altman and Nadella to the swanky Swiss snows. China, one of the world’s centers of AI development, wants to “step up communication and cooperation with all parties” on improving global AI governance, Li said.

Persons: OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, Altman, Nadella, “, OpenAI, Klaus Schwab quizzed, Li Qiang, ”, Li, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Google's Bard, he's, can’t, Julie Sweet, Arvind Krishna, Yann LeCun, LeCun, ____ Chan, Matt O'Brien Organizations: Davos, DAVOS, Bloomberg, Microsoft, ”, European, EU, Accenture, AP Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Davos, China, France, Swiss, percolated, afterparties, Europe, Britain, Valley, London, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ Elon Musk gives Tesla's board an ultimatum as he seeks to grab more power
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

By demanding more power at Tesla, Elon Musk has effectively issued an ultimatum. AdvertisementElon Musk has issued an ultimatum to Tesla's board: hand over control of 25% of the votes, or he'll put the brakes on AI development. Musk claims the board has been delaying updating his compensation package until the court decides on a verdict. If the plan is rejected, it could be complicated for the board to give Musk what he wants. As Ives notes: "Musk is Tesla and Tesla is Musk."

Persons: Elon Musk, —, he'll, Wedbush's Dan Ives, Tesla, Musk, Ives, xAI, Google's Bard, OpenAI's Organizations: Tesla, Service, EV Locations: Delaware

☆ The Humiliation of Davos Man
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Walter Russell Mead | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute, the Global View Columnist at The Wall Street Journal and the James Clarke Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and Humanities at Bard College in New York. He is also a member of Aspen Institute Italy and board member of Aspenia. Before joining Hudson, Mr. Mead was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations as the Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy. He has authored numerous books, including the widely-recognized Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004). Mr. Mead’s next book is entitled The Arc of A Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Future of the Jewish People.

Persons: Walter Russell Mead, Curry, James Clarke Chace, Mead, Henry A, Alfred A ., Mead’s Organizations: Hudson Institute, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Humanities, Bard College, Aspen Institute, Hudson, Council, Foreign Relations, Kissinger, U.S . Foreign, Providence, Alfred A . Knopf, Jewish People Locations: New York, Aspen Institute Italy, United States, Israel

☆ Google cuts hundreds of jobs across engineering, hardware teams
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Google cut several hundred jobs across the company late Wednesday night as it continues to push for efficiency and focus on its "biggest product priorities," a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. The layoffs will impact employees within Google's hardware and central engineering teams, as well as workers across Google Assistant, its voice-activated software product. Other parts of the company were also affected, according to Google. Last January, Google slashed its workforce by 12,000 people, or roughly 6% of its full-time employees. "Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally."

Persons: Bard Organizations: Google, CNBC, Microsoft

☆ Amazon's biggest generative AI product launch was rushed and flawed, leaving insiders looking for answers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Q should be more polished, given how far behind we are," one of the Amazon employees told BI. An Amazon spokesperson said Q is not based on a single AI model, and its launch followed standard operating procedure. They said Q primarily used Claude Instant 1.2, a cheaper, lighter, and faster version of the AI model that was released in August. More approachable, but too simpleCurrently, Amazon Q is only offered in preview mode to select customers. Some AWS employees, however, say it feels like the company is in a mad dash to release new products, even if they are subpar.

Persons: —, Q, That's, Anthropic's Claude, It's, Google's Bard, Claude, Andy Jassy, Richard Brian Bedrock, Dario Amodei, Anthropic, Randall Hunt, Hunt, Corey Quinn, Quinn, Amazon's Trainium, Adam Selipsky, Selipsky, Amazon's Organizations: Service, Amazon, Business, Microsoft, Google, Claude, AWS's, Oracle, Duckbill, Nvidia, AWS

☆ The Magnificent Seven stocks led 2023's market. Here's what the pros expect for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-24 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Megacap technology stocks reascended the throne in 2023 after a debilitating 2022 left some investors sour on the outlook for the industry. The stocks are really going to have to show what the next big thing is." Even as it outperformed the market, the e-commerce giant's gains were overshadowed by other large megacaps flaunting their latest AI innovations, with some worrying Amazon may be falling behind on AI technology . Semiconductor companies Intel , Broadcom and Lam Research also look attractive even if Mag 7 stocks maintain their leadership position as AI proliferates, Woods said. "It's a story that is just starting to play out and we're just going to build on it going forward," he said.

Persons: Tesla, Jay Woods, hasn't, Capital's, Woods, aren't, DoorDash, Uber, Neuberger, Dan Flax, Bard, missteps, Gene Munster, Ken Mahoney, Richard Bernstein, wouldn't, Brent Fredberg, we're Organizations: Federal, Nvidia, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Tesla, Freedom Capital, Asset Management, Richard Bernstein Advisors, Brandes Investment Partners, outperformance, Micron Technology, Semiconductor, Intel, Broadcom, Lam Research Locations: GOOGL

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