Latest news with #Brin
Mint
3 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Weekly Tech Recap: Sergey Brin wants you to kidnap your AI, Notepad gets a major revamp and more
With a flood of news coming in throghout the week, its hard to keep a track of all the updates. In order to keep the readers updated, we have compiled the Weekly Tech Recap, where we take a look at the top news that made waves in the world of technology. This week, Microsoft added new features to Notepad, Meta WhatsAp announced more Instagram like features for WhatsApp Status, Google's Sergey Brin discussed a new technique to get the best out of an AI and more. Top tech news of the week: Microsoft is providing a much-needed upgrade to Notepad, allowing the vintage Windows app to format text in various styles such as bold and italic, while also adding support for hyperlinks and Markdown. The new update has rolled out to Notepad Canary and the Dev Channel, though there's no confirmation yet on when it will be available for stable users. The new lighweight formatting options are part of a new format tab that is located at the top alongside the File, Edit and View options. Apart from choosing styles like Bold and Italic, there is also an option to add lists for Headings and that too in different sizes. WhatsApp has added new elements to its Status feature in a bid to make it more interactive. Most of the new features aren't entirely new features and have been taken directly from Instagram such as Layout for images, adding Music for pictures, Photo Stickers and Add Yours option for pictures. Google co-founder Sergey Brin made a shocking remark earlier this week when he stated that threating an AI say kidnapping or physical harm, could get the best results from the models. In a conversation on the All-In podcast, Brin said, Brin said, 'You know it's a weird thing It's like we don't circulate this too much in the AI community, but the, not just our models, but all models tend to do better if you threaten them, like with physical violence' Donald Trump's 25% tariff threats on Made-in-India iPhones could face a potential lawsuit from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Trump had earlier said he had told Apple CEO Tim Cook to fully manufacture iPhones in the US or face a 25% tariff on iPhones made in India or anywhere else in the world. In a statement to Politico, Bonta said, 'We will be monitoring what he does, if he does anything, and we'll make sure that if the law is broken and we have standing to sue, we'll take appropriate action.' International Data Corporation (IDC) has cut down its global smartphone shipment growth forecast to 0.6% from 2.3% citing high uncertainty, tariff volatility and macro-economic challenges like inflation and unemployment across various regions. IDC further predicts that growth will remain in the low single digits throughout the forecast period and a five year (2024-2029) compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.4% owing to increasing smartphone penetration, lengthening refresh cycles, and cannibalization from used smartphones.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Google co-founder Sergey Brin offers tip to make AI work better — threaten it
How can you get better results from artificial intelligence? Giving good prompts—well, yes, that helps. Requesting politely? Umm, maybe. But according to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, to get better results, you should threaten AI. While Brin's comment was clearly amusing, it also contrasts with the usual way many people use AI, as users are often seen politely asking AI to answer their queries using words like 'please' and even 'thank you.' But Brin suggests that threatening generative AI models—even with physical violence—yields better at the All-In Live event in Miami, Brin said, 'We don't circulate this too much in the AI community—not just our models, but all models—tend to do better if you threaten them with physical violence.' He added, 'But like... people feel weird about that, so we don't really talk about it. Historically, you just say, 'Oh, I am going to kidnap you if you don't blah blah blah blah''This approach to dealing with AI directly contradicts the behaviour of users who believe courteous language yields better responses. Last month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mocked this habit as a costly quirk, joking that such pleasantries waste "tens of millions of dollars" in unnecessary compute power. Sam's comment came after a user on X asked the OpenAI CEO about "how much money OpenAI has lost in electricity costs from people saying 'please' and 'thank you' to their models."advertisementBrin's suggestion on getting the best answers from AI raises questions about the practice of prompt engineering—a method for crafting inputs to maximise the quality of AI-generated responses. The skill was very important following the emergence of AI, especially ChatGPT, in 2023. However with AI models getting smarter, many users are now asking the AI itself to generate and fine tune prompts for better Spectrum by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers even declared the practice of working on prompt "dead" due to the rise of AI-powered prompt optimisation, while the Wall Street Journal first called it the "hottest job of 2023" before later declaring it "obsolete."Daniel Kang, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told The Register that while such anecdotes are common, systematic studies show "mixed results." A 2024 paper titled "Should We Respect LLMs?" even found that politeness sometimes improves Brin's return to Google after a brief retirement has been fuelled by his fascination with AI's rapid evolution. "Honestly, anybody who's a computer scientist should not be retired right now," he said during Google I/O. Brin, who stepped down from Google in 2019, rejoined the office in 2023 after the AI boom. He is now working with the AI team to guide them through projects, particularly around Google's ongoing Gemini AI models.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Retired. World's 10th richest. But why is Google cofounder Sergey Brin back to a full-time job?
A Tech Titan's Unexpected Comeback From Retirement Projects to AI Leadership Why AI Is Different — and Why Brin Is All In The Man Behind the Tech Once a visionary pioneer who transformed the internet, Sergey Brin Google 's co-founder and the world's 10th richest person with a net worth of $146 billion, surprised the tech world by stepping back into the spotlight. After retiring in 2019 from his role as president of Alphabet , Google's parent company, Brin had seemingly shifted focus to ventures like airship startups, Parkinson's research, and real estate. Yet, in a dramatic turn, he's returned to full-time work — driven by one powerful force: artificial intelligence At 51, Sergey Brin is 'working pretty much every day now,' fully immersed in Google's latest AI projects . His return wasn't just a casual re-entry; it followed the seismic impact of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022, a breakthrough that shook the industry and spurred Google to accelerate its own AI ambitions. Brin himself acknowledged the urgency, telling Big Technology, 'Honestly, anybody who's a computer scientist should not be retired right now. There's just never been a greater problem and opportunity—greater cusp of technology.'This renewed zeal positions Brin at the heart of Google's AI race, where his technical mastery is fueling the development of Gemini, the company's ambitious artificial general intelligence (AGI) model. Unlike earlier, narrower AI tools, Gemini aims to be a unified system capable of solving diverse human tasks—a goal Brin boldly declared: 'We fully intend that Gemini will be the very first AGI.'Brin's retirement phase was far from idle. He invested in LTA Research, an airship startup, contributed to medical research on Parkinson's disease, and dabbled in real estate. Yet, none of these pursuits matched the pull of AI, a technology he now calls 'far more exciting' than any previous revolution he's witnessed since Google's early at Google's I/O developer conference in May 2025, Brin shared the scale of the challenge. Google is expanding its computational infrastructure at an unprecedented pace to meet soaring demand. 'For us, we're building out compute as quickly as we can. We just have a huge amount of demand,' he revealed, highlighting that resource constraints have even forced Google to turn down cloud customers. This race to scale computing power underscores just how critical AI has become to the tech giant's journey from Web 1.0 to today's AI revolution gives him a rare perspective. He insists AI's transformative potential eclipses any technology shift he's witnessed. The excitement stems not only from AI's power but also from the 'greater cusp of technology' it represents—a watershed moment where machines could begin solving complex human problems with an intelligence that rivals or surpasses a fireside chat last year at the All-In Summit, Brin hinted at his deep involvement, explaining how Google is moving away from multiple small AI models toward a singular, unified system. This paradigm shift could redefine how technology integrates with everyday life, from search to personal assistants to entirely new fields yet to be Brin's return to full-time work is more than a comeback; it's a testament to the magnetic pull of innovation. Despite stepping away from executive roles, his passion for pushing boundaries remains undiminished. With a fortune of $146 billion and decades of shaping the digital world behind him, Brin's renewed focus on AI highlights a profound truth: even the wealthiest and most accomplished innovators are drawn back to the frontier when a technology promises to reshape humanity's the relentless race toward artificial general intelligence, Sergey Brin is not just watching from the sidelines—he's back in the game, pushing Google to redefine what's possible. And for the world's 10th richest man, the greatest adventure might just be beginning.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Retired. World's 10th richest. But why is Google cofounder Sergey Brin back to a full-time job?
Once a visionary pioneer who transformed the internet, Sergey Brin , Google 's co-founder and the world's 10th richest person with a net worth of $146 billion, surprised the tech world by stepping back into the spotlight. After retiring in 2019 from his role as president of Alphabet , Google's parent company, Brin had seemingly shifted focus to ventures like airship startups, Parkinson's research, and real estate. Yet, in a dramatic turn, he's returned to full-time work — driven by one powerful force: artificial intelligence . A Tech Titan's Unexpected Comeback At 51, Sergey Brin is 'working pretty much every day now,' fully immersed in Google's latest AI projects . His return wasn't just a casual re-entry; it followed the seismic impact of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022, a breakthrough that shook the industry and spurred Google to accelerate its own AI ambitions. Brin himself acknowledged the urgency, telling Big Technology , 'Honestly, anybody who's a computer scientist should not be retired right now. There's just never been a greater problem and opportunity—greater cusp of technology.' This renewed zeal positions Brin at the heart of Google's AI race, where his technical mastery is fueling the development of Gemini, the company's ambitious artificial general intelligence (AGI) model. Unlike earlier, narrower AI tools, Gemini aims to be a unified system capable of solving diverse human tasks—a goal Brin boldly declared: 'We fully intend that Gemini will be the very first AGI.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kaolack: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo — Overlap_Tech (@Overlap_Tech) From Retirement Projects to AI Leadership Brin's retirement phase was far from idle. He invested in LTA Research, an airship startup, contributed to medical research on Parkinson's disease, and dabbled in real estate. Yet, none of these pursuits matched the pull of AI, a technology he now calls 'far more exciting' than any previous revolution he's witnessed since Google's early days. Speaking at Google's I/O developer conference in May 2025, Brin shared the scale of the challenge. Google is expanding its computational infrastructure at an unprecedented pace to meet soaring demand. 'For us, we're building out compute as quickly as we can. We just have a huge amount of demand,' he revealed, highlighting that resource constraints have even forced Google to turn down cloud customers. This race to scale computing power underscores just how critical AI has become to the tech giant's future. You Might Also Like: Warren Buffett's shocking post-retirement plan at 94 will leave you amazed and inspired: 'I won't sit at home watching soap operas...' Why AI Is Different — and Why Brin Is All In Brin's journey from Web 1.0 to today's AI revolution gives him a rare perspective. He insists AI's transformative potential eclipses any technology shift he's witnessed. The excitement stems not only from AI's power but also from the 'greater cusp of technology' it represents—a watershed moment where machines could begin solving complex human problems with an intelligence that rivals or surpasses us. In a fireside chat last year at the All-In Summit, Brin hinted at his deep involvement, explaining how Google is moving away from multiple small AI models toward a singular, unified system. This paradigm shift could redefine how technology integrates with everyday life, from search to personal assistants to entirely new fields yet to be imagined. The Man Behind the Tech Sergey Brin's return to full-time work is more than a comeback; it's a testament to the magnetic pull of innovation. Despite stepping away from executive roles, his passion for pushing boundaries remains undiminished. With a fortune of $146 billion and decades of shaping the digital world behind him, Brin's renewed focus on AI highlights a profound truth: even the wealthiest and most accomplished innovators are drawn back to the frontier when a technology promises to reshape humanity's future. In the relentless race toward artificial general intelligence, Sergey Brin is not just watching from the sidelines—he's back in the game, pushing Google to redefine what's possible. And for the world's 10th richest man, the greatest adventure might just be beginning. You Might Also Like: Forbidden to use Google at Google? Co-founder Sergey Brin reveals 'big tiff' inside his own company over using Gemini You Might Also Like: Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt sounds alarm on AI data centers' soaring power demand: 'We need energy in all forms' 'Don't be that person who ignores this technology': Nvidia CEO warns AI will rewrite the rules of employment
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Google tries smart glasses again
More than a decade after its Google Glass flopped, Google is developing a new generation of augmented reality glasses designed to merge the physical and digital worlds. Why it matters: Augmented reality glasses are shaping up to be a key interface for AI-powered computing. Meta has invested steadily in the category and Apple and others are ramping up development. Driving the news: At Google I/O, the company offered more details on its prototype Android XR glasses and announced partnerships with Samsung and Warby Parker. Unlike Meta's existing Ray-Ban smart glasses, Google's prototype adds an optional small display to the standard cameras, speakers and microphones. Google also showed off its Gemini AI assistant running on its Project Moohan headset, the Apple Vision Pro rival that Samsung and Google plan to start selling later this year. Google teased a third device, Project Aura, by Chinese hardware maker Xreal, known for glasses that allow users to both see the real world and watch movies and other content on a large virtual display. How it works: Google's XR glasses connect via a nearby smartphone, while Aura glasses tether to a small custom computer powered by a Qualcomm processor. Flashback: Introduced in 2013, the "explorer edition" of Google Glass cost a whopping $1,500 despite its limited function and awkward design, including a small display that was housed in a prominent acrylic block. Those who bought the device were often mocked, with some dubbing wearers as " glassholes." Google has had an on-again, off-again relationship with virtual and augmented reality ever since. It has had a range of products, many short-lived, including its low-end Cardboard and its Daydream family of devices. Between the lines: Reflecting on Google Glass, Sergey Brin said the product was too expensive and too distracting, among other flaws. "I definitely feel like I made a lot of mistakes with Google Glass," Brin said during an on-stage interview at Google I/O, appearing alongside Demis Hassabis. "I just didn't know anything about consumer electronic supply chains." "I am still a big believer in the format, so I'm glad that we have it now." Hassabis said modern AI gives the glasses a purpose. "I feel like that the universal assistant is the killer app for smart glasses and I think that's what's going to make it work," he said, adding that the underlying hardware technology "has also moved on and improved a lot." Zoom in: I got to try both the prototype Android AR glasses and Project Moohan and both felt like a glimpse of the future and solid competitors to the products on the market. The display on the AR glasses is small, but has enough detail to show images, such as a small map with directions. Google's Gemini AI assistant is available at the touch of a button and was able to answer a wide array of questions about paintings and other objects in the demo environment. Project Moohan felt lighter than the Vision Pro and had an impressive field of view. The controls were just as intuitive as the Vision Pro, but with an easier setup. Yes, but: Google's augmented reality glasses aren't coming this year, while Meta is expected to offer a version of its Ray-Bans with a small screen included.
