Sure, Google’s AI overviews could be useful – if you like eating rocks
John Naughton
The company that shaped the development of search engines is banking on chatbot-style summaries. But so far, its suggestions are pretty wild
May 2024
Google to refine AI-generated search summaries in response to bizarre results
After new feature tells people to eat rocks or add glue to pizza sauce, company to restrict which searches return summaries
April 2024
Google considering charge for internet searches with AI, reports say
Cost of artificial intelligence service could mean leaders in sector turning to subscription models
March 2024
If Meta’s intransigence isn’t enough, AI poses an even greater threat to journalism
Margaret Simons
While Facebook has refused to renew its Australian media deals, robots scraping news sites for content could upend the industry entirely
December 2023
EU agrees ‘historic’ deal with world’s first laws to regulate AI
Agreement between European Parliament and member states will govern artificial intelligence, social media and search engines
November 2023
Does Australia exist? Well, that depends on which search engine you ask …
Microsoft’s Bing falls victim to long-running part-joke internet conspiracy theory
September 2023
The networker
Has Google’s monopoly on the search engine market finally timed out?
John Naughton
The US justice department is belatedly addressing the company’s stranglehold on digital advertising technologies in the most significant antitrust case for more than two decades
August 2023
How the EU Digital Services Act affects Facebook, Google and others
Threat of big fines and EU-wide ban hoped to curb manipulative practices and harmful content
March 2023
Chinese ChatGPT rival from search engine firm Baidu fails to impress
Microsoft’s Bing chatbot to offer users answers in three different tones
February 2023
‘I want to destroy whatever I want’: Bing’s AI chatbot unsettles US reporter
NYT correspondent’s conversation with Microsoft’s search engine leads to bizarre philosophical conversations that highlight the sense of speaking to a human
Today in Focus
Are chatbots coming for your job?
A high-stakes race in AI is playing out between two of the biggest tech companies. Should we be worried or excited?
AI blunders like Google chatbot’s will cause trouble for more firms, say experts
Microsoft to power Bing with AI as race with Google heats up
How will Google and Microsoft AI chatbots affect us and how we work?
January 2023
The networker
Why has Alphabet hit the panic button? Only Google can answer that question
John Naughton
The economic downturn, US lawsuits and the fear of rising tech rivals could be reasons for the firm’s 'code red” alert, but it still has an AI ace up its sleeve
December 2022
Digital Services Act: inside the EU’s ambitious bid to clean up social media
Hong Kong pressures Google to remove protest anthem from searches
August 2022
Google accused of airbrushing carbon emissions in flight search results
Google will modify search algorithms to tackle clickbait
