Google turns internet queries into conversations
Google on Friday began letting people turn online searches into conversations, with generative artificial intelligence providing spoken summaries of query results. Google is beefing up online search with generative artificial intelligence, embracing AI despite fears for its ad-based business model.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Google on Friday began letting people turn online searches into conversations, with generative artificial intelligence providing spoken summaries of query results.With Audio Overviews Gemini AI models quickly sum up query results in conversational style, according to Google."An audio overview can help you get a lay of the land, offering a convenient, hands-free way to absorb information whether you're multitasking or simply prefer an audio experience," Google said in a blog post."We display helpful web pages right within the audio player on the search results page so you can easily dive in and learn more."Google is beefing up online search with generative artificial intelligence, embracing AI despite fears for its ad-based business model.CEO Sundar Pichai recently unveiled a new AI mode in Google search The search engine's nascent AI mode goes further than AI Overviews which display answers to queries from the tech giant's generative AI powers above the traditional blue links to websites and ads.Since Google debuted AI Overviews in search slightly more than a year ago, it has grown to more than 1.5 billion users across several countries, according to Pichai.Google's push into generative AI comes amid intensifying competition with OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has itself incorporated search engine features into its popular chatbot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Can AI offer the comfort of a therapist?
One evening, feeling overwhelmed, 24-year-old Delhi resident Nisha Popli typed, 'You're my psychiatrist now,' into ChatGPT. Since then, she's relied on the AI tool to process her thoughts and seek mental support. 'I started using it in late 2024, especially after I paused therapy due to costs. It's been a steady support for six months now,' says Popli. Similarly, a 30-year-old Mumbai lawyer, who uses ChatGPT for various tasks like checking recipes and drafting emails, turned to it for emotional support. 'The insights and help were surprisingly valuable. I chose ChatGPT because it's already a part of my routine.' With AI tools and apps available 24/7, many are turning to them for emotional support. 'More people are increasingly turning to AI tools for mental health support, tackling everything from general issues like dating and parenting to more specific concerns, such as sharing symptoms and seeking diagnoses,' says Dr Arti Shroff, a clinical psychologist. But what drives individuals to explore AI-generated solutions for mental health? WHY USERS ARE USING AI Therapy is expensive 'As someone who values independence, I found therapy financially difficult to sustain,' shares Popli, adding, 'That's when I turned to ChatGPT. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Illinois: Gov Will Cover Your Cost To Install Solar If You Live In These Zips SunValue Learn More Undo I needed a safe, judgment-free space to talk, vent, and process my thoughts. Surprisingly, this AI offered just that — with warmth, logic, and empathy. It felt like a quiet hand to hold.' People feel shy about in-person visits Dr Santosh Bangar, senior consultant psychiatrist, says, 'Many people often feel shy or hesitant about seeking in-person therapy. As a result, they turn to AI tools to express their feelings and sorrows, finding it easier to open up to chatbots. These tools are also useful in situations where accessing traditional therapy is difficult.' Nobody to talk to Kolkata-based Hena Ahmed, a user of the mental health app Headspace, says she started using it after experiencing loneliness. 'I've been using Headspace for about a month now. The AI tool in the app helps me with personalised suggestions on which mindfulness practices I should follow and which calming techniques can help me overcome my loneliness. I was feeling quite alone after undergoing surgery recently and extremely stressed while trying to manage everything. It was responsive and, to a certain extent, quite helpful,' she shares. Users see changes in themselves Mumbai-based 30-year-old corporate lawyer says, 'ChatGPT offers quick solutions and acts as a reliable sounding board for my concerns. I appreciate the voice feature for instant responses. It helps create mental health plans, provides scenarios, and suggests approaches for tackling challenges effectively.' 'My panic attacks have become rare, my overthinking has reduced, and emotionally, I feel more grounded. AI didn't fix me, but it walked with me through tough days—and that's healing in itself,' expresses Popli. CAN AI REPLACE A THERAPIST? Dr Arti expresses, 'AI cannot replace a therapist. Often, AI can lead to incorrect diagnoses since it lacks the ability to assess you in person. In-person interactions provide valuable non-verbal cues that help therapists understand a person's personality and traits.' Echoing similar thoughts, Dr Santosh Bangar, senior consultant psychiatrist, says, 'AI can support mental health by offering helpful tools, but it shouldn't replace a therapist. Chatbots can aid healing, but for serious issues like depression, anxiety, or panic attacks, professional guidance remains essential for safe and effective treatment.' DO CHATBOTS EXPERIENCE STRESS? Researchers found that AI chatbots like ChatGPT-4 can show signs of stress, or 'state anxiety', when responding to trauma-related prompts. Using a recognised psychological tool, they measured how emotionally charged language affects AI, raising ethical questions about its design, especially for use in mental health settings. In another development, researchers at Dartmouth College are working to legitimise the use of AI in mental health care through Therabot, a chatbot designed to provide safe and reliable therapy. Early trials show positive results, with further studies planned to compare its performance with traditional therapy, highlighting AI's growing potential to support mental wellbeing. ARE USERS CONCERNED ABOUT DATA PRIVACY? While some users are reluctant to check whether the data they share during chats is secure, others cautiously approach it. Ahmed says she hasn't considered privacy: 'I haven't looked into the data security part, though. Moving forward, I'd like to check the terms and policies related to it.' In contrast, another user, Nisha, shares: 'I don't share sensitive identity data, and I'm cautious. I'd love to see more transparency in how AI tools safeguard emotional data.' The Mumbai-based lawyer adds, 'Aside from ChatGPT, we share data across other platforms. Our data is already prevalent online, whether through social media or email, so it doesn't concern me significantly.' Experts say most people aren't fully aware of security risks. There's a gap between what users assume is private and what these tools do. Pratim Mukherjee, senior director of engineering at McAfee, explains, 'Many mental health AI apps collect more than what you type—they track patterns, tone, usage, and emotional responses. This data may not stay private. Depending on the terms, your chat history could help train future versions or be shared externally. These tools may feel personal, but they gather data.' Even when users feel anonymous, these tools collect data like IP addresses, device type, and usage patterns. They store messages and uploads, which, when combined, can reveal personal patterns. This data can be used to create profiles for targeted content, ads, or even scams Pratim Mukherjee, senior director of engineering, McAfee Tips for protecting privacy with AI tools/apps - Understand the data the app collects and how it's used - Look for a clear privacy policy, opt-out options, and data deletion features - Avoid sharing location data or limit it to app usage only - Read reviews, check the developer, and avoid apps with vague promises What to watch for in mental health AI apps - Lack of transparency in data collection, storage, or sharing practices - Inability to delete your data - Requests for unnecessary permissions - Absence of independent security checks - Lack of clear information on how sensitive mental health data is used One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Horoscope Today, June 16, 2025: Gemini Power Meets Aquarian Vision — A Day for Bold Ideas, Smart Deals & Strategic Growth!
ET Online Horoscope Today, Daily Astrology Predictions for All Zodiac Signs: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Aquarius, and Virgo see strong career progress The Moon transits Aquarius today. This transit can stimulate innovation, collaboration and social intelligence. The Sun is now in Gemini, and Mercury is also strong. You can expect a cerebral, fast-paced energy guiding your actions. You can focus on financial planning, communication and professional negotiations. You can also have tech-forward thinking. Your career may show ascension. Mars in the Leo sign gives you natural command and charisma. The influence on the Gemini sign fuels quick thinking and adaptability. It is a good day to plan and present a proposal or negotiate a raise. Entrepreneurs may get new collaboration opportunities. Ketu in the Fifth House may cloud long-term judgment. You need to focus on budgeting. There can be financial clarity before making new Colour: CrimsonLucky Number: 9 Tip of the Day: Assert with facts, not force. Also Read:Weekly Horoscope - Aries, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Aries, June 2025 Financial planning takes precedence. The Jupiter, Sun and Mercury in Gemini urge you to look into secondary sources of income. There can be gains from intellectual or digital pursuits. You may receive advice on long-term savings or insurance. You should take them seriously. At work, a methodical approach will serve the best. You should avoid shortcuts. Venus in Aries may add charm in meetings. You shouldn't allow emotional decisions to interfere with money Colour: Moss GreenLucky Number: 4Tip of the Day: Review all financial contracts Read: Weekly Horoscope - Taurus, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Taurus, June 2025Mercury, Jupiter, and the Sun will be in your sign. You are practically on fire today. You can expect mental clarity and great networking opportunities. Your efforts may get recognised. You should pitch ideas and negotiate partnerships. You need to restructure existing agreements. Financial benefits could stem from content and communication. There can also be gains from consulting and trade-related work. Stay grounded and delegate where needed. Lucky Colour: Sky BlueLucky Number: 5Tip of the Day: Strike while the iron is Read: Weekly Horoscope - Gemini, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Gemini, June 2025Your focus turns to behind-the-scenes work. You can gain from a long-term financial strategy. This is a powerful day for planning. You can focus on budgeting or retirement goals. Sun, Jupiter and Mercury will be transiting from the Twelfth House. You need to be careful with financial matters. Your expenses can be out of control. Career-wise, it's not a day to seek the limelight. Your back-end contributions will not go unnoticed by Colour: Pearl WhiteLucky Number: 2Tip of the Day: Strength lies in quiet Read: Weekly Horoscope - Cancer, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Cancer, June 2025Mars in your sign keeps your drive high. You may take bold decisions in your business. You can also do well in their leadership role. You should avoid clashing with authority or teammates. Ketu in your sign may skew your view. You should take a second opinion before finalising deals. Opportunities may arise in the media, technology and entertainment sectors. Networking will bring benefits. You should avoid being overly Colour: GoldLucky Number: 1Tip of the Day: Lead with collaboration, not Read: Weekly Horoscope - Leo, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Leo, June 2025 Career prospects look good today. You can do well in analytics, finance and law. Your analytical mind is sharper than ever. Mercury in Gemini rewards those who handle communication properly. New leadership opportunities may arise. The time is crucial to review financial investments. Returns from older commitments may progress. Saturn helps you build something impactful. You should stay Colour: Charcoal GreyLucky Number: 8Tip of the Day: Let structure empower your Read: Weekly Horoscope - Virgo, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Virgo, June 2025The transits support international connections and legal agreements. There can be gains from long-distance business dealings. Mercury and Jupiter will transit from your Ninth house of expansion. The day is good for planning an educational upgrade or market expansion. This is a good day to move forward. Investments related to education, travel and consultancy could show promise. You need to maintain balance in Colour: Light BlueLucky Number: 6Tip of the Day: Expand thoughtfully. Don't Read: Weekly Horoscope - Libra, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Libra, June 2025It is an excellent day to address loans, taxes and shared finances as Mercury, Sun and Jupiter will all be transiting from the Eighth House. Your instincts will guide you in restructuring debts and negotiating terms. At work, clarity around power dynamics may emerge. You shouldn't engage in ego battles. Mars, your Lagna Lord, is active. You are driven. Saturn's influence asks for patience. You can gain from real estate or a long-term Colour: MaroonLucky Number: 7Tip of the Day: Control brings power; impulsiveness brings Read: Weekly Horoscope - Scorpio, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Scorpio, June 2025Your professional relationships are the key to your progress today. Your communication needs to be clear and diplomatic. Whether it is with clients, partners, or managers. Jupiter in the Gemini sign supports contracts and deals. You ned to make sure that everything is in writing. Your finances are stable. You should avoid speculations. Agreements may require your attention. You need to scrutinise all Colour: OrangeLucky Number: 3Tip of the Day: Clarity now saves conflict Read: Weekly Horoscope - Sagittarius, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Sagittarius, June 2025Today emphasises efficiency and management. You might feel burdened with responsibilities. It is also a good time to optimise your work habits. Saturn supports discipline. You should use it to streamline systems and cut unnecessary expenses. Job seekers may find promising leads from your past connections. Financially, this is a day for consolidation. You should avoid taking Colour: Forest GreenLucky Number: 10Tip of the Day: Solidify the base before Read: Weekly Horoscope - Capricorn, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Capricorn, June 2025The Moon and Rahu in your sign can supercharge your ambition. This is an excellent day to showcase your originality. You can do well in technology, media, or futuristic ventures. Promotions or project approvals may come through. You shouldn't fear the spotlight. You should make the best use of it. Short-term investments in innovation or collaborative projects can give financial gains. You need to maintain honesty in Colour: Electric BlueLucky Number: 11Tip of the Day: Dare to do things Read: Weekly Horoscope - Aquarius, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Aquarius, June 2025Saturn in your sign makes you focused today. This transit is good for handling budgets and streamlining expenses. It can also help in setting up long-term business structures. You should avoid taking on too many tasks. One well-done job is better than many half-finished ones. You are good at behind-the-scenes planning. Financial matters may need discretion. You need to show positive long-term Colour: IndigoLucky Number: 12Tip of the Day: Long-term vision beats short-term Read: Weekly Horoscope - Pisces, 9th - 15th June 2025 Monthly Horoscope - Pisces, June 2025 Written by: Anand Sagar Pathak of For feedback, write to hello@ Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
AI experts divided over Apple's research on large reasoning model accuracy
A recent study by tech giant Apple claiming that the accuracy of frontier large reasoning models (LRMs) declines as task complexity increases, and eventually collapses altogether, has led to differing views among experts in the artificial intelligence (AI) world. The paper titled 'The Illusion of Thinking: Understanding the Strengths and Limitations of Reasoning Models via the Lens of Problem Complexity' was published by Apple last week. Apple, in its paper, said it conducted experiments across diverse puzzles which show that such LRMs face a complete accuracy collapse beyond certain complexities. While their reasoning efforts increase with the complexity of a problem till a point, it then declines despite having an adequate token budget. A token budget for large language models (LLM) refers to the practice of setting a limit on the number of tokens an LLM can use for a specific task. The paper is co-authored by Samy Bengio, senior director, AI and ML research at Apple who is also the brother of Yoshua Bengio, often referred to as the godfather of AI. Meanwhile, AI company Anthropic, backed by Amazon, countered Apple's claims in a separate paper, saying that the 'findings primarily reflect experimental design limitations rather than fundamental reasoning failures.' 'Their central finding has significant implications for AI reasoning research. However, our analysis reveals that these apparent failures stem from experimental design choices rather than inherent model limitations,' it said. Mayank Gupta, founder of Swift Anytime, currently building an AI product on stealth, told Business Standard that both sides have equally important points. 'What this tells me is that we're still figuring out how to measure reasoning in LRMs the right way. The models are improving rapidly, but our evaluation tools haven't caught up. We need tools that separate how well an LRM reasons from how well it generates output and that's where the real breakthrough lies,' he said. Gary Marcus, a US academic, who has become a voice of caution on the capabilities of AI models, said in a best case scenario, these models can write python code, supplementing their own weaknesses with outside symbolic code, but even this is not reliable. 'What this means for business and society is that you can't simply drop o3 or Claude into some complex problem and expect it to work reliably,' he wrote in his blog, Marcus on AI. The Apple researchers conducted experiments comparing thinking and non-thinking model pairs across controlled puzzle environments. 'The most interesting regime is the third regime where problem complexity is higher and the performance of both models have collapsed to zero. Results show that while thinking models delay this collapse, they also ultimately encounter the same fundamental limitations as their non-thinking counterparts,' they wrote. Apple's observations in the paper perhaps can explain why the iPhone maker has been slow to embed AI across its products or operating systems, a point on which it was criticised at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last week. This approach is opposite to the ones adopted by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Meta, and Google, who are spending billions to build more sophisticated frontier models to solve more complex tasks. However, there are other voices too who believe that Apple's paper has its limitations. Ethan Mollick, associate professor at the Wharton School who studies the effects of AI on work, entrepreneurship, and education, mentioned on X that while the limits of reasoning models are useful, it is premature to say that LLMs are hitting a wall.
