Google Unveils New Bard-Powered Google Assistant

By

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October 6, 2023

The Google Assistant you’ve come to rely on is undergoing a change. Seven years after its initial launch, Google is supercharging its Assistant with Bard. This integration not only amplifies the capabilities of Google’s virtual assistant but also promises a user experience that’s “intuitive, intelligent, and personalized,” as per Google’s official statement.

The new Bard-powered Google Assistant was shown off at the Made for Google event, where they also released the Pixel 8 series and Android 14. This new Google Assistant version will work well with other Google apps like Docs and Gmail, thanks to new Bard features.

According to Google, the Bard-powered Assistant is your go-to for everything from trip planning to sifting through your Gmail inbox. For content creators, the assistant can even generate trending hashtags and relevant captions to match images.

In the midst of all the excitement, Google hasn’t turned a blind eye to the ever-sensitive issue of user privacy. The company pledges that users can tailor their privacy settings to their liking. However, it’s crucial to be aware that Bard archives data such as your geographical location, IP address, and other identifiers for a period of 18 months. Moreover, your interactions with Bard may be subject to human scrutiny, adding another layer to the privacy debate.

Currently in its experimental phase, this integration is set for a limited release for user testing. Google aims to roll it out to the general public in the coming months, although a specific date remains under wraps. Recently, Alexa also got a facelift with generative AI.

How AI is Transforming Project Management: 4 Use Cases

By

Rakesh Babu

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October 6, 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming mainstream in business, with various industry leaders curious about how it can impact work at every level. AI has already gained a stronghold in various business practices, from customer service to marketing, and HR and project management is not left out.

Project management has evolved in various ways since the use of basic software to track workflows. AI is fast becoming a core part of project management by boosting productivity and prediction. It makes sense that every project management out there is curious about how to implement AI into multiple workflows and make the best use of the technology.

In this post, we will explore 4 use cases of how AI is transforming project management and how you can get ahead of this growing trend.

Contents

1 Why is AI important in project management?
2 4 Use cases of AI in project management
3 Final Thoughts

Why is AI important in project management?

AI is gaining ground in different facets of project management, from project planning to execution, monitoring, control and closure. Project managers can leverage AI’s automation capabilities and sophisticated analytics to make timely decisions and improve performance.

AI has definitely pushed project management from just project management tools like Asana and other Jira competitors to faster automation and more insightful analytics.

Here are some other reasons why AI is important in project management

More data to analyze

A lot of data is involved in project management workflows from multiple systems, tools and stakeholders. With AI solutions like machine learning, these big data sets can easily be analyzed quickly to reveal powerful insights.

More complex projects

Certain projects can be difficult to handle with basic project management tools. AI aids fast collaboration between important parties and teams across the globe. This results in fast decision-making and implementation.

Improved forecasting

AI enables predictive analytics, making it easier for project managers to forecast risks, project loopholes, and potential outcomes. Project managers can identify patterns in real-time data to improve planning and execution techniques.

Stand out from competition

Innovative companies are already leveraging AI technology in project management procedures to gain a competitive advantage in the industry. Not exploring AI can make you fall behind industry expectations.

4 Use cases of AI in project management

AI keeps pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in project management. Let’s explore four specific use cases of how AI is impacting project management.

Schedule generation

Project managers generate schedules to visualize and organize project requirements. They use static scheduling templates that only contain project milestones, tasks and phases to do this. By leveraging and analyzing real-time data, AI can create very accurate and complex schedules in seconds.

For this experiment, project managers can ask the AI tool to generate a work schedule based on a specific context. Within seconds, a full schedule and work breakdown structure will be generated. With more practice, project managers can provide more detailed context to help the AI to provide better schedules. For example, your prompt could be “Generate a schedule for a worldwide CRM implementation project with an eight-week timeline starting from November 2023 using project management best practices”. In seconds, the AI would revert with a complete schedule showing all requirements and estimated task duration.

With this tool, project managers can save time by generating custom schedules for multiple projects without sacrificing accuracy. This could lead to better resource allocation and more successful projects.

Cost estimation

When allocating resources to different phases of a project, project managers often have to input the costs into each cell manually. AI, particularly ChatGPT, can suggest and spread the total cost of the project using an S-curve, thereby automating the process fully. You can also automate the process to enable the AI to spread the cost by different timeframes, whether weeks, months or years, depending on what the business needs.

This use case can save a lot of time for project managers who must present a cost estimation draft to team leaders. It creates a good structure that the team can build on. For a use case like this, how detailed and tailored your cost estimation experience with AI will be will be determined by how much information you’re willing to share with the technology. Since AI builds off the information you provide, the more detailed and comprehensive your prompts are, the more tailored and accurate the financial forecasting will be.

Advanced testing of systems and software

Before a major project begins, project managers must run several tests on the systems and software that will be used to avoid setbacks and ensure everything works optimally when the project is ready to go live. With AI, project managers will soon be able to automate multiple advanced tests of systems and software to help the team spot defects early and implement self-correcting processes. This will drastically reduce the multiple hours spent on testing and the number of necessary reworks, allowing project managers to deliver bug-free solutions in record time.

For example, when trying to launch a new product, the product development and project management team would work together to manually test every product element before it’s launched. With AI, these tests can be automated in advance, with every element and scenario analyzed for bugs, possible user or design issues, etc. This way, the product development team can fix issues before launch.

Risk logs generation

Risk management is a crucial part of project management. When you identify potential risky elements in the early stages of a project, it’s easier to eliminate them to ensure successful project completion. Risks can be found in different elements of a project, from scheduling to resource availability and allocation; sometimes, the project goal itself can be risky.

Experienced project managers would have to assess every element or stage of the project, identify potential risks and document them. They can also analyze how these risks could impact the project’s success.

While this strategy works, project managers only identify and analyze these risks based on their wealth of experience with past similar projects. The issue is that each project is different and requires fresh insight. AI helps in this case by analyzing potential risks based on the information and context provided for each project.

Project managers can easily create a comprehensive risk log by explaining the purpose or context of the project to the AI and asking the technology to explore and share potential risks. You can take it further and ask the AI to provide possible mitigation strategies and solutions for said risks. Even though you may not use all the information the AI provides, it is an excellent starting point for your risk management process.

Final Thoughts

Project management is one of the major sectors that can benefit immensely from AI. This technology already helps project management automate and manage several processes, and it will only get smarter and better. With more in-depth analytics, risk management, schedule generation and cost estimation, project managers can save multiple hours and get a great head start on projects.

If you are not utilizing the power of AI, it’s important to begin the process to see how this technology can fit into your existing project management strategy. The best way to begin is to isolate tasks or project elements that AI can improve and track any improvements. The key is to ensure you’re not left behind regarding leveraging AI in project management.

Google Unveils Android 14 with Advanced Features and Enhanced Accessibility

By

Sabarinath

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October 5, 2023

Google rolled out its latest mobile operating system, Android 14 (Upside Down Cake). Available initially for Google Pixel devices, this update focused on enhanced security, accessibility, and customization.

Contents

1 Lock Screen Customization
2 AI-Powered Wallpaper Generator
3 Health Connect Integration
4 Notification Flashes
5 Battery Life
6 Support for Larger Screens
7 Photo and Video Access
8 Font Scaling
9 Improved Share Menu
10 Enhanced Hearing Aid Support
11 Security Upgrades
12 Stealth Mode
13 Your Data, Your Rules
14 Availability
15 How to Download Android 14?

Lock Screen Customization

One of the most notable features in Android 14 is the advanced lock screen customization. Users can now choose from eight different clock styles and even place widgets that adapt to environmental conditions. For instance, if rain is imminent, the weather widget will become more prominent to catch the user’s attention.

AI-Powered Wallpaper Generator

Android 14 introduces an AI-based wallpaper generator that allows users to select a theme and additional parameters like color and texture. The algorithm then generates multiple personalized wallpapers that can be immediately set as the background.

Health Connect Integration

The Health Connect service is now fully integrated into Android 14, eliminating the need for a separate app. It serves as a hub for health data collected by other apps like Oura or MyFitnessPal.

Notification Flashes

Android 14 integrates this feature into the operating system, allowing the camera’s flash to serve as a notification light. This is particularly useful for hearing-impaired users, making Android 14 more inclusive than ever.

Battery Life

Android 14 brings subtle yet impactful changes to how the OS manages background tasks and data transfers. These tweaks promise to extend your device’s battery life. The reintroduction of the “screen time since last full charge” feature offers a detailed look into your battery usage, a feature users have missed since Android 12.

Support for Larger Screens

Whether you’re using a smartphone, a folding phone, or a tablet, Android 14 ensures that apps adapt gracefully to various screen sizes. This is a significant leap towards a more unified Android ecosystem.

Photo and Video Access

Android 14 addresses privacy concerns by allowing users to specify which media files an app can access. No more blanket permissions; you’re in control now.

Font Scaling

Android 14 takes font scaling to new heights, allowing up to 200% scaling without disrupting the layout, thanks to its nonlinear scaling algorithm. Say goodbye to squinting and hello to readability.

Improved Share Menu

Android 14 revamps the share menu to offer a more consistent and personalized experience. Custom actions and data-driven ranking of share targets make sharing smoother than ever.

Enhanced Hearing Aid Support

Android 14 offers a dedicated page for hearing aids, allowing users to fine-tune sound settings. The update also includes hearing protection features, issuing warnings for prolonged exposure to loud music.

Security Upgrades

Android 14 ramps up security by blocking apps designed for older Android versions and streamlining biometric login capabilities. This reduces password dependency and enhances overall security.

Stealth Mode

The new update allows users to disable animations while entering their PIN, making it more challenging for onlookers to guess your code. For PINs of 6 characters or more, the “OK” button is now optional, simplifying the unlocking process.

Your Data, Your Rules

Android 14 keeps you informed about any changes in app data-sharing policies through monthly warnings. This ensures you’re always in the loop about how your data is being used.

Availability

Currently, Android 14 is available for compatible Google Pixel smartphones. It will be rolled out to other manufacturers like Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, Realme, Nothing, and Vivo at a later date.

If you’re wondering whether your Pixel phone will support Android 14, here’s the list of compatible devices:

How to Download Android 14?

To get Android 14 on your supported Pixel phone, navigate to Settings > System > System update. If the update is available, you’ll see your update status. Simply hit “Download and Install,” and voila, you’ll be running Android 14 in no time.

Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro Unveiled With Tensor G3 Chipset

By

Adwaith

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October 5, 2023

Google has finally lifted the curtain of the successors to the Pixel 7 series: the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. With the introduction of the Tensor G3 chipset and a refreshed design, Google brings a series of incremental changes rather than groundbreaking features.

When it comes to design, both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro maintain a semblance of continuity with their predecessors. However, subtle upgrades like more rounded corners, flat displays, and symmetrical bezels add a touch of modernity.

The Pixel 8 Pro flaunts a Super Actua 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with a resolution of 1344x2992px and a peak brightness of 2,400 nits. The Pixel 8, on the other hand, features a smaller but equally impressive 6.2-inch FHD+ display. Both screens are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and offer a 120Hz refresh rate.

Both models are powered by the new Tensor G3 chipset, which Google claims can process 10 times as much AI data as the Tensor G1 found in the Pixel 6. Tensor G3 is manufactured using Samsung’s 4nm process. This chipset is a beast, featuring a 9-core processor that includes a single Cortex-X3 prime core, four Cortex-A715 cores, and another four Cortex-A510 cores. The G3 also comes with Google’s Titan M2 security chip, enabling real-time translation and call screening features.

The Pixel 8 Pro takes the cake when it comes to camera features. It sports an improved 50MP main camera, a heavily upgraded 48MP ultrawide, and a near-identical 48MP 5x telephoto. The Pixel 8 isn’t far behind, featuring the same 50MP main camera as the Pro model but flanked by a 12MP ultrawide. Both phones also introduce advanced features like Macro Focus, Best Take, and Magic Editor, elevating your photography and videography experience.

When it comes to memory, the Pixel 8 comes with 8GB of RAM and storage options of 128GB or 256GB. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro is equipped with 12GB of RAM and offers more expansive storage options, including a 1TB variant. Both phones are IP68 certified, ensuring they are water and dust-tight. For security, users can rely on fingerprint and face unlock features.

The Pixel 8 Pro houses a 5,050mAh battery, supporting 30W wired and 23W wireless charging. The Pixel 8 features a 4,575mAh battery with 27W wired and 18W wireless charging capabilities.

Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro come with updated Google Assistant features, improved Gboard proofreading tools, and a new Magnifier app. Interestingly, the Pixel 8 Pro also includes a built-in thermometer, pending FDA approval, that will allow you to check the temperature of objects and eventually, your body.

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will start shipping this month, with prices starting at $699 and $999, respectively. This marks a $100 increase compared to their predecessors. Preorders have already begun, and regular sales will commence on October 12.

10 Best AI Search Engines You Should Know About

By

Sabarinath

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October 5, 2023

Today, the way we search for things online has changed a lot, and a big reason for that is AI. In the past, search engines just looked for keywords to show you a list of websites. But now, AI search engines are much smarter. They use advanced technology to understand what you’re really looking for, and they can even guess why you’re asking a certain question.

Let’s say you’re a student who needs information for a school project, or you’re a worker who needs specific data for your job, or maybe you’re just trying to find a good place to eat nearby. These new search engines can figure out what you need and give you results that are just for you.

As we all create and use more data online, AI becomes even more important. It helps us find the exact information we need, quickly and accurately. In this article, we’ll take a look at the advanced search engines powered by AI that are making our online experiences better and more personalized.

Contents

Benefits of AI in Search Engines:

By leveraging artificial intelligence, search engines are becoming more user-centric, efficient, and versatile, offering a markedly improved search experience compared to their traditional counterparts.

Enhanced Accuracy: Traditional search engines often return results based on keyword matching. AI-powered search engines, on the other hand, understand the context and semantics, offering more accurate results.
User Intent Recognition: AI algorithms can interpret the user’s intent behind a search query. This means you get results that are more aligned with what you’re actually looking for.
Personalized Experience: These search engines can analyze your past search history and behavior to offer personalized results and recommendations.
Speed and Efficiency: AI search engines can process and analyze large datasets in milliseconds. This leads to faster search results, saving users valuable time.
Voice Search Capabilities: With the integration of AI, voice search has become more reliable. It understands natural language, accents, and even dialects, offering a hands-free search experience.
Visual Search Features: Some AI search engines allow you to search using images and videos as queries instead of text, broadening the ways you can find information.
Advanced Filters and Sorting: AI enables more sophisticated filtering options, allowing users to sort results by relevance, date, popularity, and other criteria.
Security and Privacy: AI algorithms can better detect fraudulent sites and phishing scams, offering a safer browsing experience.
Content Summarization: Certain AI search solutions can summarize long articles, research papers, and documents, providing quick insights without having to read through the entire content.
Multilingual Support: AI’s natural language processing capabilities enable effective multilingual search, breaking down language barriers in accessing information.
Industry-Specific Searches: Some of these search engines are tailored for specific industries like healthcare, law, or academia, offering specialized and highly relevant results.

So, here are the latest AI-based search engines you should try to experience the new way of internet search.

1. Microsoft Copilot

Advanced Features: improved search results, summarized answers, interactive chat for complex queries, creative content generation, and a revamped Microsoft Edge with AI-driven functionalities1.
Language Model: OpenAI Prometheus

Microsoft has upgraded Bing using AI to improve search results. It merges search, browsing, and chat into a singular experience, refining search outcomes over discussions. Copilot can also summarize answers from various web sources, and has a chat feature for more complex inquiries, like planning trips. You can ask Bing for creative assistance, like drafting emails or creating trivia quizzes. Moreover, it’s fostered by a newer OpenAI model, which is a leap ahead of its predecessors like ChatGPT, promising quicker and more precise responses.

2. Google SGE

Advanced Features: Real-time answers, predictive typing, search refinement, integrated visual and audio search capabilities, advanced result filtering and ranking.
Language Model: PaLM 2

Google SGE, which stands for Search Generative Experience, is a new venture by Google to infuse AI with its search engine. It’s a new and experimental version of Google Search where AI provides direct answers within the search results. The inception of SGE transpired under the umbrella of Search Labs, a Google initiative to introduce people to new technologies.

3. Google Gemini

Advanced Features: Integrates with Google apps and services, human-like interactive dialogues, simplification of complex topics, and the ability to fuel curiosity by providing high-quality, insightful responses.
Language Model: PaLM 2

Google Gemini is engineered as a conversational AI, expanding the search engine experience beyond just fetching data. Driven by PaLM 2 technology, Bard can interact in a more human-like manner, making information exploration engaging. It’s designed to provide insightful responses, even simplifying complex subjects. This novel AI search engine aims to stir creativity and curiosity, making it a commendable tool for learning and discovery.

4. ChatGPT 4

Advanced Features: Seamless integration, prompt-driven searches, interactive browsing and easy search refinement.
Language Model: OpenAI GPT-3.5 and GPT-4

OpenAI’s ChatGPT now allows users to browse the web, extending its data access beyond its previous limit. This browsing feature, available to Plus and Enterprise users, can be enabled via the “Browse with Bing” option under GPT-4.

5. You.com

Advanced Features: Personalized search, quick answers, privacy-focused, advanced AI comprehension, summarization, and citation capabilities.
Language Model: Combination of GPT-3 and Blended Large Language Model (C-A-L)

You.com emerges as a fresh player in the field of search engines, with its core built around artificial intelligence. You.com allows users to tailor their search results based on personal preferences. This personalized touch is not only user-friendly but also makes the search process more aligned with individual needs. Another significant aspect of You.com is its strong emphasis on privacy. In a time where data privacy concerns are escalating, the assurance of keeping user data 100% private is a strong selling point for You.com.

Adding more flavor to the personalized search experience, You.com has the capability to integrate with over 150+ apps like StackOverflow, Medium, Amazon, and Twitter. This app integration feature further refines the search experience, making it more aligned with the user’s digital ecosystem.

6. Perplexity AI

Advanced Features: More intuitive, accurate, and personalized search experience.
Language Model: OpenAI GPT-3.5 and GPT-4

Rooted in OpenAI’s GPT technology, Perplexity AI seeks to redefine user interactions with search technologies. The backbone of its uniqueness lies in its Copilot feature, which is powered by the GPT-4 model, bringing a more interactive and personalized layer to search experiences.

While it may not exhibit the same level of clarity and detail in responses as some competitors, Perplexity AI shines in finding sources to help users pinpoint the right answers. It’s a reliable companion for those on a quest for up-to-date, accurate information, which is facilitated through real-time web search, ensuring the information is current and relevant.

7. Komo

Advanced Features: Ad-free, AI-driven autocomplete, community interaction and social search.
Language Model: Proprietary

Komo is a modern search engine steered by generative AI, with a core objective of delivering a search platform free from ads to its users. Three pillars of Komo are Chat, Explore, and Search, each sculpted to refine the user’s interaction with the platform. The Chat feature opens up avenues for users to delve deeper into topics, brainstorm, or engage in discussions. In addition, Komo AI races through searches with lightning speed, ensuring users find what they’re questing for quickly and effortlessly

8. Phind

Advanced Features: Developer-focused, Engaging search experience, customizable searches, up-to-date information and cited sources.
Language Model: Combination of GPT-4 and its proprietary model

Phind is a cool search engine made just for developers. It’s like having a chat with a friend who knows a lot about coding. When you ask it something, it not only gives you straight answers but also shows you code examples and guides to help you understand better. Unlike other search engines where you just get a list of links, with Phind, you can ask more questions to dig deeper into what you want to know. There’s also a fun side to Phind; it has a “Surprise Me” feature and lets you customize your search to make it more engaging.

9. Andi

Advanced Features: No advertising display or advertising tracking, privacy-focused, accurate and efficient.
Language Model: Proprietary

Andi is an AI search chatbot that delves into your queries, offering direct answers and even the sources backing those answers with generative AI, live data, and semantic search technology. It summarizes the big chunks of information, making it easy for you to understand what’s what. Unlike other search places, AndiSearch doesn’t show you any ads or share your information with anyone else. It’s like Andi respects your privacy and doesn’t want to bother you with annoying ads.

10. Waldo

Advanced Features: Personalized search outcomes, privacy-oriented and user-friendly interface.
Language Model: Proprietary

AI-driven search engine Waldo is designed to streamline the online research process. It’s tailored for professionals, allowing them to access, download, and share the data points it unearths with their teams, making it a reliable tool for collaborative projects. The engine’s claim to fame is its speed; it’s marketed as a tool to halve the time you’d normally spend searching for high-quality information online.

Why some of these AI Search Engines are Perfect Alternatives to Google?

Google’s extensive data collection practices have raised privacy concerns among users. Moreover, the search giant’s algorithms often prioritize popular and commercial websites, which may not always yield the most relevant or unbiased results. This is where AI-powered search engines come into play.

Privacy First: Search engine like Andi and Waldo are designed with user privacy at the forefront. They don’t track your search history, ensuring that your personal data remains confidential. For users who prioritize privacy, these search engines offer a breath of fresh air.
Personalized Yet Private: Platforms like You.com offer personalized search results without compromising on privacy. The AI algorithms understand user intent and preferences, delivering results that are tailored to individual needs, all while keeping your data secure.
Niche-Specific Searches: For those in specialized fields, AI-powered search engines like Perplexity AI and Phind offer industry-specific results. Whether you’re a researcher looking for academic papers or a professional seeking technical solutions, these search engines provide targeted results.
Ad-Free Experience: Andi and Komo stand out for their ad-free user experience. Unlike Google, which relies heavily on ad revenues, Andi and Komo focuses solely on providing the most relevant search results, without the distraction of advertisements.

The Future is AI

With features like voice search, real-time indexing, and semantic understanding, AI-powered search engines are equipped to handle complex queries more efficiently than ever before. They are not just catching up to Google but are setting new standards in search technology.

Meta’s New AI Assistant Trained on Public Facebook, Instagram Posts

By

Vishak

-

October 4, 2023

That friendly robot voice answering your questions on Facebook and Instagram may sound original, but it could be parroting your own words right back at you.

Meta revealed that its newly unveiled AI assistant was trained on billions of public posts from the company’s social platforms. So when you chat with the virtual assistant, it’s essentially remixing snippets of writings and ramblings from Meta’s over 3 billion users.

This user-spun training data is powering the new AI rollouts across Meta’s apps. So your old photos, check-ins, comments and hashtags may be ingredients in the computer cocktail responding to your inquiries.

Some may find it clever, others creepy, that Meta’s AI echoes its users’ digital footprints back at them. But legally, Meta appears in the clear. Public posts are fair game, while private content is off-limits.

Other tech titans also parrot users to educate their AI. Elon Musk is similarly schooling his AI using old tweets. Google, too, admits its bots slurp up public user posts.

As virtual assistants get uncannily chatty, ethical complexities unfold. The line between machine creativity and regurgitated user content blurs. And when AI like Meta’s goes awry, who’s to blame: the algorithm or the people whose writings trained it?

This user content-powered AI marks a new chapter in tech’s tightrope walk between innovation and ethics. As their robotic creations echo users more literally than ever, companies must balance progress and principles even more carefully.

Microsoft Has Invested Over $100 Billion in Bing to Take on Google

By

Sabarinath

-

October 4, 2023

Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, recently dropped a financial bombshell — the company has funneled a jaw-dropping $100 billion into Bing, its proprietary search engine. This staggering figure was disclosed during the “US-vs-Google” antitrust case, where the Department of Justice aims to prove that Google is exploiting its dominant position in the search engine market to stifle competition.

Nadella emphasized the importance of search engines as the “organizational layer of the internet.” He lamented that while everyone talks about the open web, it’s essentially a “Google web.” Publishers optimize their content for Google, and advertisers align their strategies to meet Google’s requirements. This makes it incredibly difficult for competitors like Bing to gain market share.

Google dominates the search engine market, holding 90% of the market share in the U.S. and nearly 91% globally. Even with a single-digit market share, Bing is still profitable, according to Nadella. Over the last 20 years, Microsoft has poured more than $100 billion into Bing. The investment isn’t just about attracting more users and generating higher revenues. It’s also about gathering data to improve search results, a vital aspect that Bing needs to work on to compete with Google.

The U.S. Department of Justice accuses Google of paying a staggering $10 billion annually to key market players like Apple, Samsung, and AT&T to ensure Google remains the default search engine. Nadella revealed that Microsoft was willing to pay a similar amount to these companies for choosing Bing, but their efforts were in vain.

The quality of search results is a significant factor in why users choose Google over Bing. Even Apple’s Vice President, Eddy Cue, testified that the quality of search was the decisive factor for sticking with Google. This puts Bing in a challenging position. Can it ever match Google’s search quality, or will it remain a secondary choice?

Interestingly, Nadella also touched upon the role of Artificial Intelligence in the search engine landscape. He warned that advancements in AI could further strengthen Google’s position, especially if Google secures exclusive agreements with publishers for content access.

Nadella’s testimony could have far-reaching implications, not just for Google but for the entire tech industry. If the court rules against Google, it could break the company’s agreement with Apple, costing them billions. The trial is expected to last around 10 weeks, with the verdict likely to be announced in 2024.

Mistral 7B: A Free AI Model Raises Ethical and Security Concerns

By

Sabarinath

-

October 3, 2023

Mistral 7B Raises Ethical and Security Concerns

Paris-based startup Mistral AI has recently launched Mistral 7B, a free and open-source language model that is raising eyebrows for its lack of moderation mechanisms. While the model promises high-speed text processing at a fraction of the cost of its competitors, it also poses significant ethical and security risks.

Last week, Mistral AI, a startup valued at a staggering 240 million euros, unveiled its groundbreaking language model, Mistral 7B. The model is designed to perform a variety of tasks, including text summarization and question-answering. According to the company, Mistral 7B offers superior performance compared to other market solutions, both in terms of speed and cost-efficiency.

Licensed under Apache 2.0, Mistral 7B offers unparalleled freedom, allowing it to be used virtually anywhere for almost anything. However, this freedom comes at a cost. Security researcher Paul Röttger’s investigation revealed that the model could potentially provide instructions for criminal activities, ranging from manufacturing drugs to committing murder.

A report by 404 Media further amplifies the ethical dilemma surrounding Mistral 7B. Röttger criticized Mistral for not addressing safety concerns in their public communications. “If the intention was to share an ‘unmoderated’ LLM, then it would have been important to be explicit about that from the get go.” — he stated. Mistral has since confirmed the absence of moderation on their website, albeit as an afterthought.

Adding fuel to the fire, Mistral chose to distribute the model via a Magnet-Link torrent. This makes it virtually impossible to retract the model for adding any future moderation mechanisms. The model is now dispersed across numerous systems, cementing its permanence and raising questions about the feasibility of future moderation.

The release of Mistral 7B has reignited discussions about the ethical responsibilities of AI developers. While some argue for unrestricted access to AI technology, others call for more stringent controls to prevent misuse. Models like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing Chat have previously faced similar ethical questions.

Mistral’s website now includes a note about their eagerness to collaborate with the community for future moderation. But the question remains: is it too late? The model is already out there, free and unmoderated, like a genie that can’t be put back into its bottle.