UK antitrust watchdog says Google may have to offer rival search options
LONDON — Google could be forced to let British users choose whether to use rival search services, the country's antitrust watchdog said Tuesday as it proposed using new digital regulations to boost competition.
The Competition and Markets Authority said its 'priority measures' include requiring Google to present users with 'choice screens' when they use key products like the Chrome browser and Android mobile operating system.
The choice screens would let users 'easily select and switch between search services,' which could potentially include AI assistants, it said.
The watchdog is seeking to give Google a ' strategic market status ' label under the new U.K. digital rules. That would give it the power to use 'targeted measures' to impose changes to 'specific aspects' of its search operations in the U.K.
The CMA's move 'could have significant implications for businesses and consumers in the UK,' Google said.
Oliver Bethell, Google's senior director of competition, noted in a prepared statement that CMA reiterated that 'strategic market status' doesn't imply that anti-competitive behavior has taken place, 'yet this announcement presents clear challenges to critical areas of our business in the U.K.,'
The watchdog has until Oct. 13 to decide on whether to give Google the label.
It has drawn up three other initial priority measures that it would carry out if it goes ahead.
Google would have to make its search results ranking and presentation fair and non-discriminatory, and give businesses an effective way to complain if they've been treated unfairly.
Publishers should be given choice and transparency about how their content collected by Google is used for AI services, such as AI-generated overviews that have been appearing at the top of search results.
The CMA also wants to ensure people can easily transfer their data, such as their Google search history, to other businesses, which the CMA said could foster innovative new products and services.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
18 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
UK Industrial Plan Must Have North Sea Tax Reform, Group Says
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called his government's 10-year industrial strategy 'a turning point' for the nation's economy, but for an oil and gas lobby the plan must include tax reform for North Sea energy producers. A competitive tax structure alongside continued domestic oil and gas production is 'the turning point we need,' David Whitehouse, chief executive officer of Offshore Energies UK, said at conference in Aberdeen, Scotland. The industry needs 'a firm commitment from government' to deliver such long-term tax regime in 2026, he added.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Howard University and Google Research Enhance A.I. Speech Recognition of African American English
Howard University and Google researchers release dataset of over 600 hours of African American English dialects to improve AI speech recognition Howard University and Google Research elevate Black American dialects in AI WASHINGTON, D.C., June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Howard University and Google Research released data today which can be used by artificial intelligence developers to improve the experience of Black people using automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology. Through the partnership, Project Elevate Black Voices, researchers traveled across the United States to catalogue dialects and diction used frequently in Black communities but often not recognized or misconstrued by artificial intelligence-driven technologies, making it more difficult for many Black individuals to engage with the technology. African American English (AAE), African American Vernacular, Black English, Black talk, or Ebonics is a rich language rooted in history and culture. Because of inherent bias in the development process, incorrect results are sometimes generated when Black users vocalize commands to AI-driven technology. Many Black users have needed to inauthentically change their voice patterns away from their natural accents to be understood by voice products. 'African American English has been at the forefront of United States culture since almost the beginning of the country' said Gloria Washington, Ph.D., Howard University researcher and co-principal investigator of Project Elevate Black Voices and Howard University researcher. Voice assistant technology should understand different dialects of all African American English to truly serve not just African Americans, but other persons who speak these unique dialects. It's about time that we provide the best experience for all users of these technologies.' Researchers collected 600 hours of data from users of different AAE dialects in an effort to address implicit barriers to improving ASR performance. Thirty-two states are represented in the dataset. They found that there is a lack of natural AAE speech found within speech data because Black users have been implicitly conditioned to change their voices when using ASR-based technology. Even when data is available, in-product AAE is difficult to leverage because of code-switching. "Working with our outstanding partners at Howard University on Project Elevate Black Voices has been a tremendous and personal honor,' said Courtney Heldreth, co-principal investigator at Google Research. 'It's our mission at Google to make technology that's useful and accessible, and I truly believe that our work here will allow more users to express themselves authentically when using smart devices.' Howard University will retain ownership of the dataset and licensing, and serve as stewards for its responsible use, ensuring the data benefits Black communities. Google can also use the dataset to improve its own products, ensuring that their tools work for more people. Google performs this type of model training work with all sorts of dialects, languages, and accents around the US and the world. 'As a community-based researcher, I wanted to carefully curate the community activations to be a safe and trusted space for members of the community to share their experiences about tech and AI and to also ask those uncomfortable questions regarding data privacy,' said Lucretia Williams, Ph.D., project lead and Howard University researcher. The project team adopted a community-centric approach to audio data collection by organizing curated events in several cities, centering around Black panelists who both live and work in those communities. These panelists facilitated open and transparent discussions focused on Black culture, the intersection of technology and Black experiences, the growing presence of AI, and the importance of the Black community's active participation in innovation. At the end of each event, the team introduced a three-week audio data collection initiative, inviting participants to sign up and contribute their voices and experiences to the project. The Howard African American English Dataset 1.0 will initially be made available exclusively to researchers and institutions within historically Black colleges and universities to ensure that the data is employed in ways that reflect the interests and needs of marginalized communities, specifically African American communities whose linguistic practices have often been excluded or misrepresented in computational systems. The release of this dataset to entities outside the HBCU network will be held for consideration at a later date, with the intention of prioritizing those whose work aligns with the values of inclusivity, empowerment, and community-driven research. ### About Howard University Howard University, established in 1867, is a leading private research university based in Washington, D.C. Howard's 14 schools and colleges offer 140 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs and lead the nation in awarding doctoral degrees to African American students. Howard is the top-ranked historically Black college or university according to Forbes and is the only HBCU ranked among U.S. News & World Report's Top 100 National Universities. Renowned for its esteemed faculty, high achieving students, and commitment to excellence, leadership, truth and service, Howard produces distinguished alumni across all sectors, including the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice and the first woman U.S. vice president; Schwarzman, Marshall, Rhodes and Truman Scholars; prestigious fellows; and over 165 Fulbright recipients. Learn more at Attachment Howard University and Google Research elevate Black American dialects in AI CONTACT: Carol Wilkerson Howard University 202-288-7071 in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
io's mysterious ChatGPT device won't be a wearable
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. Over the weekend, some ChatGPT fans noticed that OpenAI quietly removed the Sam Altman-Jony Ive video from the website and the accompanying announcement that OpenAI had purchased Ive's io to make ChatGPT devices. Some worried that OpenAI might have abruptly pulled the plug on ChatGPT io hardware, but that wasn't the case. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 A court order in a trademark lawsuit forced OpenAI to temporarily remove those press materials. Google-backed iyO is a startup that makes wearable computers with custom-molded earpieces. Specifically, they create voice-controlled earphones where the user talks to the operating system and apps. iyO sued OpenAI, and the court filings have started piling up on the web. They reveal the history between the two entities as well as the first details about OpenAI's plans for the ChatGPT io gadget. When Sam Altman and Jony Ive announced the io purchase, the OpenAI CEO mentioned he had tried the first ChatGPT gadget Ive and his team made. Altman teased that the unnamed device 'completely captured' his imagination, without revealing the design or how it's supposed to work. Altman did say that the way we access ChatGPT today is too complicated, suggesting the io hardware would make it much easier to use the AI. Altman further detailed the mysterious product during an internal OpenAI meeting that followed. That's when we got more details about the gadget. Altman reportedly said the ChatGPT io device would be the third most important gadget in one's life, following the iPhone (smartphone) and MacBook (computer). The device would sit in a pocket or on a desk, and it would be aware of the user's surroundings and context. A mid-June filing from OpenAI says the unnamed ChatGPT io device is 'at least a year away,' suggesting the device might get a late 2026 release date at best. OpenAI teased in that video that it would unveil the product next year, without providing specific timelines or release dates. The same document notes that OpenAI isn't working on a wearable, at least not for the first product it plans to launch. That is, the product won't be an in-ear device like the one iyO is taking preorders for. OpenAI lawyers point out that iyO will take several months to actually launch a product. Other reports said the ChatGPT product might be worn around the neck. Placing it in a pocket would also make the ChatGPT io device a wearable. That is, you'd want to 'wear' the AI companion device while you use it. Ear placements make plenty of sense. Apple is rumored to bring Apple Intelligence to AirPods with cameras in the future. Bundling AI with smart glasses, like Meta, Google, and Samsung are doing, is another option. Apple is also believed to be working on its own smart glasses. Whatever form factor OpenAI might be working on, it will need to be close by. The gadget should respond to voice and pack at least one camera to see the world on behalf of the user. Connectivity to AirPods and other earphones might also be a must. All of this is speculation at this time. My point is that the ChatGPT gadget will have to be worn somehow, no matter what the OpenAI lawyers say. Then again, OpenAI's lawyers want to make it clear that the company isn't just trying to reproduce the technology iyO has created and use the same name. The document does say that OpenAI has purchased at least 30 headphone sets from various companies to test what's available today. Lawyers also say io looked at all sorts of devices, including options that looked like a computer or a mobile device. io considered 'wired, wearable, and portable' for the ChatGPT gadget. OpenAI has been aware of what iyO is working on for quite a while. Also, TechCrunch points out that the two parties have met. OpenAI has tried the iyO technology in person, though hands-on demos were not fruitful. OpenAI's VP of Product Peter Welinder and Tang Tan, io's Chief Hardware Officer, met iyO's CEO Jason Rugolo on May 1st to try the in-ear product. The device failed repeatedly during the demos. The documents in the case also reveal that Rugolo tried to pitch iyO devices to OpenAI and even sell the company. He proposed that OpenAI launch an iyO device as a 'developer kit' for its future AI device. He also suggested OpenAI could invest in iyO or buy the company outright for $200 million. Tan declined all these options. Emails between io employees show the startup was interested in custom earpieces like the ones iyO offers. But OpenAI sought access to data from an ear-scanning company, The Ear Project, rather than iyO devices. The Ear Project works with iyO to create custom earpieces for buyers. In a declaration to the court, Tan also confirmed that OpenAI will not make a wearable ChatGPT io device. He said the prototype Altman mentioned in the Ive video 'is not an in-ear device, nor a wearable device.' Tan also said the ChatGPT device is at least a year away. No matter what happens in this trademark case, OpenAI and io will surely launch a ChatGPT product at some point in the coming year. The company can't afford not to have its own first-party hardware in stores to compete with all sorts of AI products. That will happen even if io needs to change its name. Interestingly, the documents OpenAI filed show that Altman and Ive chose the io name in mid-2023, purchasing the domain around that time, several months before iyO started using its name and registered the mark. Don't Miss: Today's deals: Nintendo Switch games, $5 smart plugs, $150 Vizio soundbar, $100 Beats Pill speaker, more More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
