News/Google
Scientists skeptical of Google’s AI co-scientist tool, say it removes the fun part of their work
Google's "AI co-scientist" tool, built on Gemini 2.0, has received significant skepticism from the scientific community despite ambitious claims about revolutionizing research. The tool, which uses multiple AI agents to generate hypotheses and research plans through simulated debate and refinement, has been dismissed by experts who question both its practical utility and its fundamental premise. This resistance highlights a critical misunderstanding about scientific research—that hypothesis generation is often the creative, enjoyable aspect that scientists are least interested in outsourcing to AI. Why it matters: The lukewarm reception reveals a disconnect between how AI developers envision scientific workflows and how scientists...
read Mar 6, 2025YouTube warns creators of deepfake scam featuring CEO Neal Mohan
They're faking it until they're making it. Unfortunately, they're making it our problem. YouTube has raised alarms about a sophisticated AI-enabled phishing scam targeting content creators through deepfake videos of CEO Neal Mohan. The scam's emergence highlights the growing sophistication of AI-powered fraud, where deepfake technology is being weaponized to exploit the trust between platforms and their users, potentially threatening the creator economy that has become central to YouTube's ecosystem. The big picture: Scammers are using AI-generated videos of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan to deceive creators in a targeted phishing campaign designed to steal channel credentials. How it works: The...
read Mar 5, 2025Augmented retail: Google morphs online shopping with AI that visualizes clothing before you buy
Google is rapidly transforming search into a personalized shopping experience through AI-powered visual tools. The company's new features allow users to visualize clothing and makeup products before purchasing, addressing a common consumer pain point where shoppers struggle to find items matching their mental vision. These developments represent a significant evolution in Google's AI integration strategy, making online shopping more intuitive while keeping users within Google's ecosystem rather than navigating to specialized retailer sites. The big picture: Google has launched "vision match," an AI tool that generates images based on detailed clothing descriptions and then suggests similar purchasable items. Mobile users...
read Mar 3, 2025Google releases Gemini-powered data science tool in Colab for free
The natural-language-to-anything-you-want pipeline continues to add miles. Google's new Data Science Agent, powered by Gemini 2.0, represents a significant leap in making data analysis more accessible through artificial intelligence. This free AI assistant, available through Google Colab, transforms natural language descriptions into fully functional Jupyter notebooks, streamlining workflows for researchers and data scientists. The tool's launch signals an escalation in the AI-powered data analysis space, directly competing with OpenAI's ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis capability. The big picture: Google has expanded access to its Data Science Agent following a limited December 2024 testing phase, offering the tool free to users 18...
read Feb 27, 2025Putting pocket tech to work: NYC Subway deploys Google Pixels to detect track defects
The New York City subway system's 665 miles of track require constant inspection to maintain safety and reliability. In a pioneering experiment, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) partnered with Google to test whether everyday smartphones could revolutionize how track defects are detected. Project overview: The MTA and Google's four-month experiment utilized six Google Pixel phones mounted on A-line subway cars to collect comprehensive track condition data. The phones leveraged built-in sensors including accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, and microphones to gather information about track conditions The experimental system, dubbed TrackInspect, employed artificial intelligence to analyze audio, vibration, and location data The project...
read Feb 27, 2025Nothing Phone (3a) leak reveals Pixel-inspired cameras
Buy this phone, and you've got Nothing to lose. The Nothing Phone (3a) series represents Nothing's latest mid-range smartphone offering, featuring a distinctive transparent design and upgraded camera system. The company has been gradually revealing details about both the standard and Pro models through official teasers and unofficial leaks ahead of its March 4, 2025 launch. Design and Hardware Overview: The standard Nothing Phone (3a) maintains the brand's signature transparent aesthetic while introducing new visual elements. The device features three "Glyph" lighting modules positioned around the camera system Unlike its Pro counterpart's prominent camera module, the standard model sports a...
read Feb 27, 2025¿Decir qué? Google Translate unveils powerful new AI translation feature
The past year has seen a significant transformation in language translation capabilities through advanced AI integration. Google Translate, used by over 1 billion people worldwide, is poised to introduce a major enhancement that will allow users to interact with translations in more nuanced ways. The core innovation: Google Translate's forthcoming "Ask a Follow-up" feature represents a significant advancement in translation technology by offering interactive, context-aware translation modifications. The feature adds a new button at the bottom of translation results that opens up additional options for users to refine and understand translations Users can modify translations with options including Formal, Casual,...
read Feb 26, 2025Google launches free version of Gemini Code Assist with sky-high usage limits
Google has introduced a free version of Gemini Code Assist, an AI-powered coding tool that was previously available only as a paid enterprise service. This development marks a significant shift in the accessibility of AI coding assistance, offering individual developers unprecedented access to advanced code completion and debugging capabilities. Key Features and Integration: Gemini Code Assist seamlessly integrates with popular development environments while leveraging the Gemini 2.0 large language model to provide contextual coding assistance. The tool maintains awareness of developers' code and can provide real-time suggestions and assistance It supports public domain programming languages and enables direct chat interactions...
read Feb 25, 2025Google faces lawsuit over AI Overviews in Search
The legal battle between education technology company Chegg and Google centers on AI-generated search previews that summarize web content directly in search results. These AI Overviews, introduced by Google in 2024, have sparked controversy over their impact on web publishers' traffic and revenue streams. Core of the dispute: Chegg has filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming that AI Overviews redirect traffic away from content publishers by providing information directly in search results. Chegg's CEO Nathan Schultz initiated a strategic review process alongside the legal complaint, citing significant impacts on user acquisition and revenue The company warns about the potential creation...
read Feb 25, 2025AI challenges lab professionals: Key impacts to watch
Experimentation is meeting augmentation on the science job front. The advent of AI in scientific research reached a new milestone in February 2025 with Google's announcement of their AI co-scientist platform. This sophisticated system employs seven specialized AI agents working in concert to assist researchers from ideation through discovery, incorporating a novel "self-play" approach where different ideas undergo rigorous debate and evolution. Initial performance metrics: Early testing of Google's AI co-scientist platform has demonstrated remarkable success in generating scientifically viable ideas and hypotheses. Human scientists rated the AI-generated research proposals similarly to peer proposals in terms of potential impact and...
read Feb 25, 2025Google and Salesforce integrate Gemini AI into Agentforce platform
The enterprise software landscape is being reshaped by strategic partnerships between major tech companies seeking to enhance their AI capabilities. Salesforce and Google have announced a $2.5 billion, seven-year partnership that will integrate Google's Gemini AI into Salesforce's Agentforce platform, creating a powerful alternative to Microsoft's enterprise AI offerings. Key Partnership Details: The collaboration enables Salesforce's core applications to run on Google Cloud with embedded Gemini AI capabilities, representing a significant shift in Salesforce's cloud strategy. The deal values at $2.5 billion over seven years Salesforce's CRM and Agentforce AI offerings will now run natively on Google Cloud The integration...
read Feb 24, 2025YouTube for Android TV adds labels to videos dubbed by AI
New AI dubbing features on YouTube now allow viewers to watch content in their native language by automatically translating audio tracks. The platform has recently added interface indicators to help viewers identify which videos have been AI-dubbed when watching on Android TV and Google TV devices. Key Features and Implementation: YouTube's Android TV interface now displays a "Dubbed" tag with a speaking icon beneath video titles to indicate AI-translated audio content. The tag appears alongside existing indicators like "Subtitles" in a grey text box under the video title, channel name, and view count The feature's visibility varies by region and...
read Feb 24, 2025APK Teardown: Google to bring 4 new AI voices to Android app
Artificial intelligence features in Google Search are expanding beyond text interactions to include enhanced voice capabilities, with new voice options discovered in recent beta testing. Google's upcoming AI Mode for Search aims to create a more natural, conversation-like experience for users performing voice searches. Latest developments: Google has quietly introduced four new voice options in its latest Android app beta, signaling a significant expansion of voice-based AI search capabilities. The new voices, codenamed Jungle, Lime, Royal, and Sapphire, are distinct from existing Gemini voice options An updated Voice settings page includes a new "Spoken results" feature, suggesting AI Mode will...
read Feb 23, 2025Google’s NotebookLM Plus: Is the AI tool worth the cost?
Google's NotebookLM, now bundled with its $20 monthly One AI Premium subscription, aims to transform how users interact with their documents by functioning as an AI research assistant that can analyze and explain complex content. The tool, which processes everything from PDFs to Google Docs, joins Gemini Advanced and 2TB of cloud storage in Google's expanding AI services portfolio. But is it really worth the cost? Core functionality: NotebookLM functions as a personal AI research assistant that analyzes uploaded documents and responds to user questions about their content. Users can upload PDFs, Google Docs, and webpages to create topic-specific notebooks...
read Feb 23, 20255 practical tips to boost your productivity with NotebookLM
AI audio learning has evolved significantly, with Google's NotebookLM now offering the ability to transform written content into AI-generated podcast discussions. This tool allows users to convert documents and research materials into conversational audio formats, making complex information more digestible through simulated expert discussions. Here are five productivity-boosting tips to get the most out of this new tool. Comprehensive Source Collection Compile all relevant materials into a single notebook before starting Upload documents simultaneously to help NotebookLM identify patterns and connections Create a centralized repository of information for better context and insights Interactive Engagement Take advantage of the tool's interactive...
read Feb 23, 2025Google’s Gemini to get AI video powers, leak reveals
The recent discovery of new code in Google's app suggests significant updates to Gemini's AI capabilities, specifically in the realm of video generation. Google's AI ecosystem continues to expand beyond image generation, with video creation tools potentially becoming available to a broader user base. Latest developments: Hidden code fragments in Google's app reveal plans to integrate video generation features into Gemini, powered by an internal system codenamed "robin." The code contains messages related to video processing, including status updates for users during generation These features are currently in testing and haven't been officially announced or released The integration would mark...
read Feb 22, 2025APK teardown offers early glimpse of Google Play’s AI avatar generator
Google's Play Store is advancing its personalization features with the development of an AI-powered avatar generator for Play Games profiles. This new tool will allow users to create custom avatars by adjusting three main parameters: character, background, and art style. Current development status: The AI avatar generator has been spotted in the Play Store's code but is not yet available in the current beta release (version 45.0.21). The feature appears to be in final stages of development, suggesting an imminent public release Early testing shows promising results in avatar generation quality The tool is specifically designed for enhancing Play Games...
read Feb 22, 2025More than a quarter of Americans prefer AI chatbots to traditional search, study finds
The rise of AI chatbots is fundamentally changing how people search for information online, with a significant portion of users now preferring AI-powered search tools over traditional search engines. A recent Future Publishing study reveals that more than a quarter of Americans have already shifted their search habits to AI platforms like ChatGPT. Key findings from the research: The study demonstrates a clear trend toward AI-powered search alternatives, with 27% of Americans now regularly choosing AI chatbots over conventional search engines. Users report significant time savings with AI search tools, which provide direct answers rather than requiring users to sift...
read Feb 21, 2025Google Gemini now offers free document analysis and summaries
Think of it as a paralegal in your pocket. Gemini, Google's AI language model, has been providing advanced file analysis capabilities to its paid subscribers since early 2025, allowing them to upload documents for AI-powered insights and summaries. Google has now expanded this functionality to all users of its free tier, marking a significant shift in accessibility to AI document analysis tools. Key Feature Expansion: Google has democratized Gemini's document analysis capabilities by making them available to all users across Android, iOS, and web browser platforms. The free tier now supports uploading and analysis of Google Docs, PDFs, and Word...
read Feb 20, 2025New leak reveals Google is testing AI video creation for Gemini
The field of AI-powered video generation is evolving rapidly as major tech companies develop increasingly sophisticated tools for creating realistic video content from text and images. Google's Gemini app, which currently offers text-to-image generation capabilities, appears to be expanding into video creation territory. Key developments: Google is internally testing new AI video generation features for its Gemini application, with code discoveries suggesting significant expansion of the platform's creative capabilities. Hidden code references in the latest Google app version reveal "robin," an internal codename for Gemini-powered functions, including new video generation features The code contains interface elements related to video processing,...
read Feb 20, 2025What makes Google’s new Co-Scientist AI tool so powerful
Google's AI Co-scientist represents a significant advancement in using AI to generate scientific hypotheses, demonstrating the ability to produce research proposals in days rather than years. Core innovation: Google has enhanced Gemini 2.0 with a sophisticated multi-agent system that generates and evaluates scientific hypotheses through an intensive computational process known as test-time scaling. The system uses specialized agents for generation, reflection, ranking, evolution, proximity, and meta-review to formulate research hypotheses In a notable demonstration, the AI Co-scientist generated a bacterial evolution hypothesis in two days that matched conclusions from a decade-long human study at Imperial College London Technical framework: Test-time...
read Feb 20, 2025Google Ads now allows advertisers to generate realistic AI images of humans
Artificial intelligence tools for digital advertising continue to evolve, with Google Ads leading significant developments in automated creative content generation. In February 2025, Google expanded its AI capabilities to allow advertisers to generate realistic images of adult humans for various campaign types. Core functionality expansion: Google Ads has integrated Imagen 3 AI technology to enable text-prompted generation of human images across Performance Max, Demand Gen, Display, and Apps campaigns. The system can create diverse adult human images based on specific text descriptions and demographic details Built-in safeguards prevent generation of branded products, celebrities, politicians, minors, or sensitive content All AI-generated...
read Feb 20, 2025Google’s AI scientist solves decades-long antibiotic-resistant bacteria puzzle in 2 days
The development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, known as superbugs, represents one of the most pressing challenges in modern medicine. A breakthrough in understanding how these dangerous pathogens spread between species has emerged through an unexpected collaboration between traditional scientific research and artificial intelligence. The breakthrough discovery: Google's AI tool "co-scientist" independently reached the same conclusions about superbug transmission mechanisms that took a research team at Imperial College London a decade to uncover and prove. Professor José R Penadés and his team discovered that superbugs can form virus-like tails enabling them to spread between different host species When presented with a simple...
read Feb 19, 2025Google is working on a new AI avatar generator for mobile gamers
The Play Store has offered gamers limited profile customization options, with users currently restricted to selecting from premade avatars for their gaming profiles. Google's latest development aims to expand these options through AI-driven personalization features. What's changing: Google is developing an AI-powered avatar generator for gaming profiles in the Play Store, building upon recent updates to the Play Games profile system. The feature was discovered in version 44.9.19-29 of the Google Play Store Users will be able to customize their avatars by selecting from multiple categories including character type, background, and art style The system appears to function similarly to...
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