Surprising Real Journalism News: The Chilling Claws of AI
February 6, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
I wanted to highlight two interesting items from the world of “real” news and “real” journalism. I am a dinobaby and not a “real” anything. I do, however, think these two unrelated announcements provide some insight into what 2024 will encourage.
The harvesters of information wheat face a new reality. Thanks, MSFT Copilot. Good enough. How’s that email security? Ah, good enough. Okay.
The first item comes from everyone’s favorite, free speech service X.com (affectionately known to my research team as Xhitter). The item appears as a titbit from Max Tani. The message is an allegedly real screenshot of an internal memorandum from a senior executive at the Wall Street Journal. The screenshot purports to make clear that the Murdoch property is allowing some “real” journalists to find their future elsewhere. Perhaps in a fast food joint in Olney, Maryland? The screenshot is difficult for my 79-year-old eyes to read, but I got some help from one of my research team. The X.com payload says:
Today we announced a new structure in Washington [DC] that means a number of our colleagues will be leaving the paper…. The new Washington bureau will focus on politics, policy, defense, law, intelligence and national security.
Okay, people are goners. The Washington, DC bureau will focus on Washington, DC stuff. What was the bureau doing? Oh, perhaps that is why “our colleagues will be leaving the paper.” Cost cutting and focusing are in vogue.
The second item is titled “Q&A: How Thomson Reuters Used GenAI to Enable a Citizen Developer Workforce.” I want to alert you that the Computerworld article is a mere 3,800 words. Let me summarize the gist of the write up: “AI is going to replace expensive “real” journalists., My hunch is that some of the lawyers involved in annotating, assembling, and blessing the firm’s legal content. To Thomson Reuters’ credit, the company is trying to swizzle some sweetener into what may be a bitter drink for some involved with the “trust” crowd.
Several observations:
- It is about 13 months since Microsoft made AI its next big thing. That means that these two examples are early examples of what is going to happen to many knowledge workers
- Some companies just pull the pin; others are trying to find ways to avoid PR problems and lawsuits
- The more significant disruptions will produce a reasonably new type of worker push back.
Net net: Imagine what the next year will bring as AI efficiency digs in, bites tail feathers, and enriches those who sit in the top one percent.
Stephen E Arnold, February 6, 2024
Google Gems for 6 February 2024
February 6, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
The Google has been busy. In order to provide an easy way to highlight groups of Googley action, we have grouped these into four clusters. These are arbitrary. Links are provided to the source of the gems.
Looking for Google Gems, a creation of MSFT Copilot Bing thing.
BIG MOVES
In the last week, everyone’s favorite online advertising entity worked tirelessly to demonstrate its lovable nature. Here are several big moves my research team and I found notable:
The first item concerns the estimable Google Play “store.” Customers were able to download what The Sun described as “spy apps.” What’s this situation, if true, say about Google’s ability to screen apps for its store? To learn more, navigate to this link.
The second “big” item is that Google’s management expertise was on display at an “all hands” meeting. According to Inc. Magazine:
“We’re talking about simplifying areas where we have unnecessary layers and removing bureaucracy to make sure the company works better,” Pichai said. The thing is, the only reason any of that is true is because Google has built that bureaucracy and added those layers. That didn’t happen on accident. It happened over time as the company grew and added managers and processes and products. It happened because of intentional choices about how to run the business. It just turns out that some of those choices didn’t pan out. “Part of leadership is also making the tough decisions that are needed,” Pichai said in response to one question.
The munchkins at the Google do not seem to be happy. Whose fault is this? I assume that the 23andMe approach is the explanation: “It’s your fault.”
The third item illustrates Google’s deft tactical actions when “responsible innovation” needs amping up. According to Wired Magazine, Google split up the team. If you are Google, creating a duplicative structure makes perfect sense particularly in the artificial intelligence sector. More complexity is a plus I assume.
The fourth item touches upon Google’s effort to make sure its users don’t wander off the reservation. The PressGazette reports:
Google is planning to force news publishers to group their websites into sets of five if they want to use certain functions in its new Privacy Sandbox online advertising system, which it has proposed will replace cookie functionality. Each group of five will then be published on GitHub, the coding website, where anyone will be able to see them.
The final Brobdingnagian item is Google’s unsurprising appeal of its recent jury trial loss to Epik, the online game outfit. No surprise, of course, but it’s the spirit of the Google which I find admirable: Never give up when one has numerous lawyers.
HELPING USERS
Google cares about its users. Users equal revenue. This is a basic fact among those who understand the company’s motivations. Let’s run down a handful of user-centric actions:
First, Google has dumped public access to cached Web pages, according to SERoundTable. The work-around is for the user to go to the woefully incomplete Internet Archive which is a far from comprehensive repository of Web pages. Helpful.
Second, users of Google Pixel phones or some Samsung mobiles. What about users of other Android devices? Sorry, according to Forbes, you are out of luck.
Third, Google and AI aggregator Hugging Face are cozying up in the cloud. Will this have an impact on the competitive AI space? Of course, not. Read more in the Verge, the explanation for the informed elite.
Fourth, Google has a “secret” browser. Learn more from Matan-h. Is this the first one? Nope, the second.
Fifth, if you own a Samsung TV and used the Google Assistant, you may have to find a new helper. TomsGuide.com reports that Google is removing this feature.
Sixth, Google’s smart watch can be used as — wait for it — a television remote. Learn more from Techradar.
Finally, Google continues its war against ad blockers. The goal is revenue. The AndroidPolice thinks the Google is behaving in a less than user-friendly way. Imagine that.
HORN TOOTING
Last week displayed some subdued Google horn toots. Let’s take a look:
Google is strapping AI to Google Maps. The idea is to make suggestions. What if a person just wants directions? Dumb question. Users will get smart recommendations. For a breathy explanation of Google wonderfulness, check out the Verge story.
Plus, after 14 months, the Google has rolled out image generation that is the apex of artistic excellence. How great is that? VentureBeat explains the achievement. Tom’s Hardware take a more techy approach to the announcement.
MONEY
One cannot overlook Google’s towering financial skyscrapers.
First, its annual revenue continues to climb. Details appear in Alphabet’s report.
Second, YouTube has become the little money factory Googlers lusted after. Even Variety lets its respect for cash flow sparkle in the insider’s news service. I want to point out that AndroidPolice asserted that YouTube has fewer paid subscribers than does Spotify. Is the solution an acquisition, predatory pricing, or removing Spotify from search results. These are actions Google would avoid, of course.
Third, Google is pinching pennies, not just firing employees to boost margins. Nope. According to Marketwatch, Google showed a $1.2 billion loss due to dumping office space. Is this important? Not to the former employees, but the landlords and banks counting on Google lease deals might be irritated.
A GEM TO REMEMBER
I mentioned Google’s management excellence elsewhere in this catalog of gems. I want to close with a nod to Yahoo News (who knew the Yahooligans did news?). The story recycles information about Google’s terminating employees, thus creating Xooglers in abundance. “Google’s Layoffs Already Impacted Its Culture. Now They’re Affecting Its Bottom Line” reports that employees (Xooglers) belonged to a “happy family.” Really?
Stephen E Arnold, February 6, 2024
Robots, Hard and Soft, Moving Slowly. Very Slooowly. Not to Worry, Humanoids
February 1, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
CNN that bastion of “real” journalism published a surprising story: “We May Not Lose Our Jobs to Robots So Quickly, MIT Study Finds.” Wait, isn’t MIT the outfit which had a tie up with the interesting Jeffrey Epstein? Oh, well.
The robots have learned that they can do humanoid jobs quickly and easily. But the robots are stupid, right? Yes, they are, but the managers looking for cost reductions and workforce reductions are not. Thanks, MSFT Copilot Bing thing. How the security of the MSFT email today?
The story presents as actual factual an MIT-linked study which seems to go against the general drift of smart software, smart machines, and smart investors. The story reports:
new research suggests that the economy isn’t ready for machines to put most humans out of work.
The fresh research finds that the impact of AI on the labor market will likely have a much slower adoption than some had previously feared as the AI revolution continues to dominate headlines. This carries hopeful implications for policymakers currently looking at ways to offset the worst of the labor market impacts linked to the recent rise of AI.
The story adds:
One key finding, for example, is that only about 23% of the wages paid to humans right now for jobs that could potentially be done by AI tools would be cost-effective for employers to replace with machines right now. While this could change over time, the overall findings suggest that job disruption from AI will likely unfurl at a gradual pace.
The intriguing facet of the report and the research itself is that it seems to suggest that the present approach to smart stuff is working just fine, thank you very much. Why speed up or slow down? The “unfurling” is a slow process. No need for these professionals to panic as major firms push forward with a range of hard and soft robots:
- Consulting firms. Has MIT checked out Deloitte’s posture toward smart software and soft robots?
- Law firms. Has MIT talked to any of the Top 20 law firms about their use of smart software?
- Academic researchers. Has MIT talked to any of the graduate students or undergraduates about their use of smart software or soft robots to generate bibliographies, summaries of possibly non-reproducible studies, or books mentioning their professor?
- Policeware vendors. Companies like Babel Street and Recorded Future are putting pedal to the metal with regard to smart software.
My hunch is that MIT is not paying attention to the happy robots at Tesla or the bad actors using software robots to poke through the cyber defenses of numerous outfits.
Does CNN ask questions? Not that I noticed. Plus, MIT appears to want good news PR. I would too if I were known to be pals with certain interesting individuals.
Stephen E Arnold, February 1, 2024
Techno Feudalist Governance: Not a Signal, a Rave Sound Track
January 31, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
One of the UK’s watchdog outfits published a 30-page report titled “One Click Away: A Study on the Prevalence of Non-Suicidal Self Injury, Suicide, and Eating Disorder Content Accessible by Search Engines.” I suggest that you download the report if you are interested in what the consequences of poor corporate governance are. I recommend reading the document while watching your young children or grand children playing with their mobile phones or tablet devices.
Let me summarize the document for you because its contents provide some color and context for the upcoming US government hearings with a handful of techno feudalist companies:
Web search engines and social media services are one-click gateways to self-harm and other content some parents and guardians might deem inappropriate.
Does this report convey information relevant to the upcoming testimony of selected large US technology companies in the Senate? I want to say, “Yes.” However, the realistic answer is, “No.”
Techmeme, an online information service, displayed its interest in the testimony with these headlines on January 31, 2024:
Screenshots are often difficult to read. The main story is from the weird orange newspaper whose content is presented under this Techmeme headline:
Ahead of the Senate Hearing, Mark Zuckerberg Calls for Requiring Apple and Google to Verify Ages via App Stores…
Ah, ha, is this a red herring intended to point the finger at outfits not on the hot seat in the true blue Senate hearing room?
The New York Times reports on a popular DC activity: A document reveal:
Ahead of the Senate Hearing, US Lawmakers Release 90 Pages of Internal Meta Emails…
And to remind everyone that an allegedly China linked social media service wants to do the right thing (of course!), Bloomberg’s angle is:
In Prepared Senate Testimony, TikTok CEO Shou Chew Says the Company Plans to Spend $2B+ in 2024 on Trust and Safety Globally…
Therefore, the Senate hearing on January 31, 2024 is moving forward.
What will be the major take-away from today’s event? I would suggest an opportunity for those testifying to say, “Senator, thank you for the question” and “I don’t have that information. I will provide that information when I return to my office.”
And the UK report? What? And the internal governance of certain decisions related to safety in the techno feudal firms? Secondary to generating revenue perhaps?
Stephen E Arnold, January 31, 2024
Journalism Is … Exciting, Maybe Even Thrilling
January 31, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
Journalism is a field in an unusual industrial location. It is an important career because journalists are dedicated to sharing current and important information. Journalism, however, is a difficult field because news outlets are fading faster than the Internet’s current meme. Another alarming problem for journalists, especially those who work internationally, is the increasing risk of incarceration. The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that according to a “2023 Prison Census: Jailed Journalists Near Record High; Israel Imprisonments Spike.”
Due to the October 7 terrorist attack by Palestinian-led Hamas and the start of a new war, Israel ranked sixth on the list countries that imprison journalists. Israel ironically tied with Iran and is behind China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, and Vietnam. CPJ recorded that 320 journalists were incarcerated in 2023. It’s the second-highest number since CPJ started tracking in 1992. CPJ explained the high number of imprisonments is due to authoritarian regimes silencing the opposition. One hundred sixty-eight, more than half of the journalists, are charged with terrorism for critical coverage and spreading “false news.”
China is one of the worst offenders with Orwellian censorship laws, human rights violations, and a crackdown on pro-democracy protests and news. Myanmar’s coup in 2021 and Belarus’s controversial 2020 election incited massive upheavals and discontentment with citizens. Reporters from these countries are labeled as extremists when they are imprisoned.
Israel ties with Iran in 2023 due to locking up a high number of Palestinian journalists. They’re kept behind bars without cause on the grounds to prevent future crimes. Iran might have less imprisoned journalists than 2022 but the country is still repressing the media. Russia also keeps a high number of journalists jailed due to its war with Ukraine.
Jailed reporters face horrific conditions:
“Prison conditions are harsh in the nations with the worst track records of detaining journalists. Country reports released by the U.S. Department of State in early 2023 found that prisoners in China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, and Vietnam typically faced physical and sexual abuse, overcrowding, food and water shortages, and inadequate medical care.”
They still face problems even when they’ve served their sentence:
“Many journalists face curbs on their freedom even after they’ve served their time. This not only affects their livelihoods, but allows repressive governments to continue silencing their voices.”
These actions signify the importance of the US Constitution’s First Amendment. Despite countless attempts for politicians and bad actors to silence journalists abroad and on home soil, the First Amendment is still upheld. It’s so easy to take it for granted.
Whitney Grace, January 31, 2024
A Glimpse of Institutional AI: Patients Sue Over AI Denied Claims
January 31, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
AI algorithms are revolutionizing business practices, including whether insurance companies deny or accept medical coverage. Insurance companies are using more on AI algorithms to fast track paperwork. They are, however, over relying on AI to make decisions and it is making huge mistakes by denying coverage. Patients are fed up with their medical treatments being denied and CBS Moneywatch reports that a slew of “Lawsuits Take Aim At Use Of AI Tool By Health Insurance Companies To Process Claims.”
The defendants in the AI insurance lawsuits are Humana and United Healthcare. These companies are using the AI model nHPredict to process insurance claims. On December 12, 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed against Humana, claiming nHPredict denied medically necessary care for elderly and disabled patients under Medicare Advantage. A second lawsuit was filed in November 2023 against United Healthcare. United Healthcare also used nHPredict to process claims. The lawsuit claims the insurance company purposely used the AI knowing it was faulty and about 90% of its denials were overridden.
The AI model is supposed to work:
“NHPredicts is a computer program created by NaviHealth, a subsidiary of United Healthcare, that develops personalized care recommendations for ill or injured patients, based on “real world experience, data and analytics,’ according to its website, which notes that the tool “is not used to deny care or to make coverage determinations.’
But recent litigation is challenging that last claim, alleging that the “nH Predict AI Model determines Medicare Advantage patients’ coverage criteria in post-acute care settings with rigid and unrealistic predictions for recovery.” Both United Healthcare and Humana are being accused of instituting policies to ensure that coverage determinations are made based on output from nHPredicts’ algorithmic decision-making.”
Insurance companies deny coverage whenever they can. Now a patient can talk to an AI customer support system about an AI system’s denying a claim. Will the caller be faced with a voice answering call loop on steroids? Answer: Oh, yeah. We haven’t seen or experienced what’s coming down the cost-cutting information highway. The blip on the horizon is interesting, isn’t it?
Whitney Grace, January 31, 2024
Habba Logic? Is It Something One Can Catch?
January 30, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
I don’t know much about lawyering. I have been exposed to some unusual legal performances. Most recently, Alina Habba delivered in impassioned soliloquy after a certain high-profile individual was told, “You have to pay a person whom you profess not to know $83 million.” Ms. Habba explained that the decision was a bit of a problem based on her understanding of New York State law. That’s okay. As a dinobaby, I am wrong on a pretty reliable basis. Once it is about 3 pm, I have difficulty locating my glasses, my note cards about items for this blog, and my bottle of Kroger grape-flavored water. (Did you know the world’s expert on grape flavor was a PhD named Abe Bakal. I worked with him in the 1970s. He influenced me, hence the Bakalized water.)
Habba logic explains many things in the world. If Socrates does not understand, that’s his problem, the young Agonistes Habba in the logic class. Thanks, MSFT Copilot. Good enough. But the eyes are weird.
I did find my notecard about a TechDirt article titled “Cable Giants Insist That Forcing Them to Make Cancellations Easier Violates Their First Amendment Rights.” I once learned that the First Amendment had something to do with free speech. To me, a dinobaby don’t forget, this means I can write a blog post, offer my personal opinions, and mention the event or item which moved me to action. Dinobabies are not known for their swiftness.
The write up explains that cable companies believe that making it difficult for a customer to cancel a subscription to TV, phone, Internet, and other services is a free speech issue. The write up reports:
But the cable and broadband industry, which has a long and proud tradition of whining about every last consumer protection requirement (no matter how basic), is kicking back at the requirement. At a hearing last week, former FCC boss-turned-top-cable-lobbying Mike Powell suggested such a rule wouldn’t be fair, because it might somehow (?) prevent cable companies from informing customers about better deals.
The idea is that the cable companies’ free of speech would be impaired. Okay.
What’s this got to do with the performance by Ms. Habba after her client was slapped with a big monetary award? Answer: Habba logic.
Normal logic says, “If a jury finds a person guilty, that’s what a jury is empowered to do.” I don’t know if describing it in more colorful terms alters what the jury does. But Habba logic is different, and I think it is diffusing from the august legal chambers to a government meeting. I am not certain how to react to Habba logic.
I do know, however, however, that cable companies are having a bit of struggle retaining their customers, amping up their brands, and becoming the equivalent of Winnie the Pooh sweatshirts for kids and adults. Cable companies do not want a customer to cancel and boost the estimable firms’ churn ratio. Cable companies do want to bill every month in order to maintain their cash intake. Cable companies do want to maintain a credit card type of relationship to make it just peachy to send mindless snail mail marketing messages about outstanding services, new set top boxes, and ever faster Internet speeds. (Ho ho ho. Sorry. I can’t help myself.)
Net net: Habba logic is identifiable, and I will be watching for more examples. Dinobabies like watching those who are young at heart behaving in a fascinating manner. Where’s my fake grape water? Oh, next to fake logic.
Stephen E Arnold, January 30, 2024
AI Coding: Better, Faster, Cheaper. Just Pick Two, Please
January 29, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
Visual Studio Magazine is not on my must-read list. Nevertheless, one of my research team told me that I needed to read “New GitHub Copilot Research Finds “Downward Pressure on Code Quality.” I had no idea what “downward pressure” means. I read the article trying to figure out what the plain English meaning of this tortured phrase meant. Was it the downward pressure on the metatarsals when a person is running to a job interview? Was it the deadly downward pressure exerted on the OceanGate submersible? Was it the force illustrated in the YouTube “Hydraulic Press Channel”?
A partner at a venture firms wants his open source recipients to produce more code better, faster, and cheaper. (He does not explain that one must pick two.) Thanks MSFT Copilot Bing thing. Good enough. But the green? Wow.
Wrong.
The writeup is a content marketing piece for a research report. That’s okay. I think a human may have written most of the article. Despite the frippery in the article, I spotted several factoids. If these are indeed verifiable, excitement in the world of machine generated open source software will ensue. Why does this matter? Well, in the words of the SmartNews content engine, “Read on.”
Here are the items of interest to me:
- Bad code is being created and added to the GitHub repositories.
- Code is recycled, despite smart efforts to reduce the copy-paste approach to programming.
- AI is preparing a field in which lousy, flawed, and possible worse software will flourish.
Stephen E Arnold, January 29, 2024
AI Will Take Whose Job, Ms. Newscaster?
January 29, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
Will AI take jobs? Abso-frickin-lutely. Why? Cost savings. Period. In an era of “good enough” is the new mark of excellence, hallucinating software is going to speed up some really annoying commercial functions and reduce costs. What if the customers object to being called dorks? Too bad. The company will apologize, take down the wonky system, and put up another smart service. Better? No, good enough. Faster? Yep. Cheaper? Bet your bippy on that, pilgrim. (See, for a chuckle, AI Chatbot At Delivery Firm DPD Goes Rogue, Insults Customer And Criticizes Company.)
Hey, MSFT Bing thing, good enough. How is that MSFT email security today, kiddo?
I found this Fox write up fascinating: “Two-Thirds of Americans Say AI Could Do Their Job.” That works out to about 67 percent of an estimated workforce of 120 million to a couple of Costco parking lots of people. Give or take a few, of course.
The write up says:
A recent survey conducted by Spokeo found that despite seeing the potential benefits of AI, 66.6% of the 1,027 respondents admitted AI could carry out their workplace duties, and 74.8% said they were concerned about the technology’s impact on their industry as a whole.
Oh, oh. Now it is 75 percent. Add a few more Costco parking lots of people holding signs like “Will broadcast for food”, “Will think for food,” or “Will hold a sign for Happy Pollo Tacos.” (Didn’t some wizard at Davos suggest that five percent of jobs would be affected? Yeah, that’s on the money.)
The write up adds:
“Whether it’s because people realize that a lot of work can be easily automated, or they believe the hype in the media that AI is more advanced and powerful than it is, the AI box has now been opened. … The vast majority of those surveyed, 79.1%, said they think employers should offer training for ChatGPT and other AI tools.
Yep, take those free training courses advertised by some of the tech feudalists. You too can become an AI sales person just like “search experts” morphed into search engine optimization specialists. How is that working out? Good for the Google. For some others, a way station on the bus ride to the unemployment bureau perhaps?
Several observations:
- Smart software can generate the fake personas and the content. What’s the outlook for talking heads who are not celebrities or influencers as “real” journalists?
- Most people overestimate their value. Now the jobs for which these individuals compete, will go to the top one percent. Welcome to the feudal world of 21st century.
- More than holding signs and looking sad will be needed to generate revenue for some people.
And what about Fox news reports like the one on which this short essay is based? AI, baby, just like Sports Illustrated and the estimable SmartNews.
Stephen E Arnold, January 29, 2024
AI and Web Search: A Meh-crosoft and Google Mismatch
January 25, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
I read a shocking report summary. Is the report like one of those Harvard Medical scholarly articles or an essay from the former president of Stanford University? I don’t know. Nevertheless, let’s look at the assertions in “Report: ChatGPT Hasn’t Helped Bing Compete With Google.” I am not sure if the information provides convincing proof that Googzilla is a big, healthy market dominator or if Microsoft has been fooling itself about the power of the artificial intelligence revolution.
The young inventor presents his next big thing to a savvy senior executive at a techno-feudal company. The senior executive is impressed. Are you? I know I am. Thanks, MSFT Copilot Bing thing. Too bad you timed out and told me, “I apologize for the confusion. I’ll try to create a more cartoon-style illustration this time.” Then you crashed. Good enough, right?
Let’s look at the write up. I noted this passage which is coming to me third, maybe fourth hand, but I am a dinobaby and I go with the online flow:
Microsoft added the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool to its search engine early last year after investing $10 billion in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. But according to a recent Bloomberg News report — which cited data analytics company StatCounter — Bing ended 2023 with just 3.4% of the worldwide search market, compared to Google’s 91.6% share. That’s up less than 1 percentage point since the company announced the ChatGPT integration last January.
I am okay with the $10 billion. Why not bet big? The tactics works for some each year at the Kentucky Derby. I don’t know about the 91.6 number, however. The point six is troubling. What’s with precision when dealing with a result that makes clear that of 100 random people on line at the ever efficient BWI Airport, only eight will know how to retrieve information from another Web search system; for example, the busy Bing or the super reliable Yandex.ru service.
If we assume that the Bing information of modest user uptake, those $10 billion were not enough to do much more than get the management experts at Alphabet to press the Red Alert fire alarm. One could reason: Google is a monopoly in spirit if not in actual fact. If we accept the market share of Bing, Microsoft is putting life preservers manufactured with marketing foam and bricks on its Paul Allen-esque super yacht.
The write up says via what looks like recycled information:
“We are at the gold rush moment when it comes to AI and search,” Shane Greenstein, an economist and professor at Harvard Business School, told Bloomberg. “At the moment, I doubt AI will move the needle because, in search, you need a flywheel: the more searches you have, the better answers are. Google is the only firm who has this dynamic well-established.”
Yeah, Harvard. Oh, well, the sweatshirts are recognized the world over. Accuracy, trust, and integrity implied too.
Net net: What’s next? Will Microsoft make it even more difficult to use another outfit’s search system. Swisscows.com, you may be headed for the abattoir. StartPage.com, you will face your end.
Stephen E Arnold, January 25, 2024
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