Google's ex-CEO has an advice for those trying focus at work: Meditation apps don't work, turn off your …
CEO
Eric Schmidt
has a straightforward message for young workers struggling to concentrate or unwind: ditch the
digital distractions
entirely. Speaking on the Moonshots podcast,
Schmidt
said researchers "can't think deeply" with constant phone notifications and dismissed
meditation apps
as counterproductive to genuine relaxation.
Schmidt, who led Google for a decade during its explosive growth, observed that 20-something researchers he works with have found a definitive solution to maintaining focus. "They turn off their phone," he stated, according to Business Insider. "You can't think deeply as a researcher with this thing buzzing."
Industry designed to hijack your attention, former Google chief warns
The tech veteran acknowledged his industry's role in creating the attention crisis plaguing modern workers. Schmidt explained that technology companies have systematically worked to "monetize your attention" through advertising, notifications, and entertainment designed to capture "all of your waking hours."
This constant stimulation runs "completely antithetical to the way humans traditionally work with respect to long thoughtful examination of principles," Schmidt noted. Research supports his concerns, with attention researcher
Gloria Mark
finding that average computer screen focus time has plummeted from 2.5 minutes two decades ago to just 47 seconds today.
Schmidt says that digital wellness apps miss the mark
Schmidt particularly criticized meditation apps that promise to help users relax while keeping them glued to their devices. "My favorite are these digital apps that make you relax," he said. "The correct thing to do to relax is to turn off your phone, right? And then relax in a traditional way."
However, meditation app companies pushed back against Schmidt's assessment. A
Calm
spokesperson told Business Insider that "not all screen time is created equal," while Headspace's chief clinical officer Jenna Glover argued that telling young people to simply turn off phones "isn't realistic or helpful."
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Google Pixel 10 series launching on August 20, here is everything we know about it
Google has confirmed that its next big hardware showcase is just weeks away, and the Pixel 10 series is front and centre. The company has already revealed an official image of one of the new phones, giving us a glimpse of a fresh blue-grey shade, but, as always, the leaks and rumours have done most of the heavy an expanded line-up and new camera tricks to a new chipset and a splash of unexpected colour, here's everything we know so far about the Pixel 10 series ahead of its August Pixel 10 launchThe next Made by Google event will take place in New York on August 20, with the company promising 'the latest on our Pixel phones, watches, buds, and more.' The only confirmed hardware detail? At least one phone in the Pixel 10 family will stick closely to the Pixel 9 Pro's design, right down to the trademark camera bar and the built-in temperature sensor. Everything else, from specs to model names, comes courtesy of the leaks. If the reports are right, we'll be getting four phones this time: the standard Pixel 10, the 10 Pro, a bigger 10 Pro XL, and the second-generation foldable, the 10 Pro Fold. If leaked renders from Android Headlines are accurate, Google is having some fun with colours this the regular Pixel 10, the palette is bold and playful: the usual 'Obsidian' black will be joined by a deep Indigo, a frosty pale blue, and a zingy lime-green called Limoncello. The Pro models play it safer, sticking to muted tones like Porcelain, Jade, and Moonstone alongside the classic black. Credit: Android Authority Curiously, the foldable model ditches black entirely. Instead, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to launch only in 'Moonstone' and 'Jade'.Google Pixel 10: CamerasThe big twist? Even the entry-level Pixel 10 is finally getting three cameras on the back, wide, ultrawide, and a telephoto don't get too carried away. To squeeze in that telephoto without bumping up the price, Google has apparently opted for smaller, less capable main and ultrawide sensors. According to Android Authority, they'll be the same sensors used in the Pixel 9a. So, while you gain a zoom lens, you may lose a bit of low-light performance. Google Pixel 10 (Credit: X/ @evleaks) The Pro models, by comparison, stick with the bigger, better hardware from the Pixel 9 Pro, so expect a noticeable gap in image quality. The 10 Pro Fold's cameras are rumoured to be a mix: similar sensors to the base Pixel 10 for main and telephoto, but with an upgrade over the Fold's last Pixel 10: ProcessorEvery year brings a faster processor, but this year the upgrade sounds like a real Tensor G5 chip is said to be moving away from Samsung's manufacturing process and over to TSMC, using the same 3nm tech that Apple relies on for the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Credit: X/ @evleaks) Combined with a revised core layout, that could mean a noticeable boost in performance and efficiency, helping Pixel phones close the gap with Apple and Qualcomm-powered Pixel 10: AI everywhereOf course, it wouldn't be a Pixel launch without some AI. Google is reportedly preparing new tools like Speak-to-Tweak, which would let you edit photos with just your voice, and Sketch-to-Image, which turns your doodles into AI-generated also a new virtual assistant on the way called Pixel Sense. Previously rumoured to be called Pixie, this on-device AI will pull data from across your Google apps to anticipate what you want, offer suggestions before you ask, and carry out tasks without sending everything to the Pixel 10 India price and launchGoogle hasn't yet revealed prices or detailed features for the upcoming Pixel 10 range, but early speculation suggests the new models may be priced in line with their predecessors. The standard Pixel 10 is expected to start at around Rs 79,999 in India, with the Pixel 10 Pro likely to come in close to Rs 99, larger Pixel 10 Pro XL could see a modest bump, potentially crossing the Rs 1,02,000 mark. Interestingly, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is rumoured to be more affordable this year, with a possible launch price of roughly Rs 1,36,500, a significant drop from last year's Rs 1,72,999 price tag.- Ends
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump's AI rules call out Gemini chatbot incident that made Google CEO Sundar Pichai say ‘Unacceptable, we got it wrong'
Note: AI generated image President Donald Trump's administration recently issued executive orders aimed at preventing ' woke AI in the federal government'. Without naming the company and AI chatbot, the communication issued by The White House highlighted last year's controversy surrounding Google 's Gemini chatbot for which both CEO Sundar Pichai and company's chief technologist Prabhakar Raghavan publicly addressed the backlash. The executive order, signed on July 23, states that when 'ideological biases or social agendas are built into AI models, they can distort the quality and accuracy of the output.' It specifically identifies 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (DEI) as a 'pervasive and destructive' ideology that, in the AI context, can lead to the 'suppression or distortion of factual information about race or sex,' 'manipulation of racial or sexual representation,' and the incorporation of concepts like critical race theory and systemic racism. How Trump's 'Woke AI' order targeted Google and Gemini chatbot The White House order said that DEI poses an existential threat to reliable AI. 'For example, one major AI model changed the race or sex of historical figures — including the Pope, the Founding Fathers, and Vikings — when prompted for images because it was trained to prioritize DEI requirements at the cost of accuracy,' the White House communication noted. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo 'Another AI model refused to produce images celebrating the achievements of white people, even while complying with the same request for people of other races. In yet another case, an AI model asserted that a user should not 'misgender' another person even if necessary to stop a nuclear apocalypse,' it added. What was the controversy regarding Google Gemini A controversy was ignited after a viral post on X (formerly Twitter) by user @EndWokeness showed Gemini generating images of diverse racial backgrounds when prompted for historical figures like American Founding Fathers and popes. It also reportedly portrayed Nazis as racially diverse. These are some examples that drew sharp condemnation, including from figures like Elon Musk, who labeled Gemini's output "racist" and Google "woke." 'The woke mind virus is killing Western Civilization. Google does the same thing with their search results. Facebook & Instagram too. And Wikipedia,' he said. What Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Google was forced to pull the brakes on its Gemini AI image generator following widespread criticism. Pichai publicly addressed the backlash, stating, 'Unacceptable, we got it wrong.' He also said that the company is developing the feature from the ground up and fixing the issues. Raghavan admitted that some generated images were 'inaccurate or even offensive' and that Gemini sometimes 'overcompensates' in its pursuit of diversity. He attributed the 'overcompensation' to Google's efforts to avoid AI's classic pitfalls of stereotypical portrayal, but conceded that their 'tuning... failed to account for cases that should clearly not show a range.' Google later released Imagen 3 promising significant improvements over its predecessor. Samsung Galaxy Watch8: AI on Your Wrist AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
AI referrals to news websites up by 770% since June 2024: Report
As AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity become increasingly popular for looking up information on the internet, concerns have grown, particularly among news publishers, about a potential collapse in online traffic to their websites. But could these fears be overstated? Research based on data analytics and user surveys have so far indicated mixed results, with some studies suggesting notable drops in traffic while others hint at minimal impact. New data from web traffic and analytics firm Similarweb shows that the number of referrals from AI platforms to news and media websites has increased by 770 per cent since June 2024, according to a report by TechCrunch. Over 1.13 billion referrals to the top 1,000 websites globally came from AI platforms in June this year, up by 357 per cent from the year-ago period. OpenAI's ChatGPT accounted for a majority (80 per cent) of the AI referrals to the top 1,000 websites, as per the report. However, Google Search continues to be the dominant source of referral traffic as it accounted for 191 billion referrals to these sites during the same period. An AI referral is when platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Perplexity, Claude, and Liner direct a user to a specific website or domain. This is typically done through citations or URLs shown within AI-generated responses to user queries. Some of the news websites that saw the highest volume of AI referrals in June 2025 are: – Yahoo: 2.3 million – Yahoo Japan: 1.9 million – Reuters: 1.8 million – The Guardian: 1.7 million – India Times: 1.2 million – Business Insider: 1 million News websites such as The New York Times do not tend to rank high as they block access to AI platforms. Based on the analysis by Similarweb, AI platforms are also driving referral traffic to websites in other categories such as e-commerce, science and education, tech, search, and social media, arts and entertainment, business, etc. Some of the tech and social media websites that saw the highest volume of AI referrals in June 2025 are: – Google: 53.1 million – Reddit: 11.1 million – Facebook: 11 million – Github: 7.4 million – Microsoft: 5.1 million – Canva: 5 million – Instagram: 4.7 million – LinkedIn: 4.4 million – Bing: 3.1 million – Pinterest: 2.5 million Among e-commerce sites, Amazon led the pack with 4.5 million AI referrals in June this year, followed by Etsy (2 million AI referrals) and eBay (1.8 million AI referrals) during the same period. While these numbers paint a positive picture, other studies have found that features such as AI Overviews in Google Search are killing traffic to news and other sites. A recent survey of 900 Google users in the US by Pew Research Center found that those who encountered an AI Overview only clicked on a website link eight per cent of the time. Meanwhile, users who were not shown an AI Overview were 15 per cent more likely to click on relevant website links, as per the study.
