Latest news with #EddieCue
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- The Hindu
Google is testing AI Mode on search homepage replacing the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button
Google is reportedly testing their new AI Mode option directly in the search box on the Google home page, replacing the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' widget. The company rolled out the option to a limited group of U.S. users who were on Google Labs to gather feedback. A Google spokesperson responded to The Verge saying that the update is just for testing for now and there's no decision yet on whether it will be rolled out widely. Some testers have pointed out that there's also a rainbow border that rotates around the widget when they hover around it. There's another alternative where a shortcut for AI Mode is added to the search bar with the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' widget unchanged. Google has been mulling over how to integrate AI into its search and announced in March that they will be testing AI Mode on the Google results page and not the homepage. But the search giant is under an increasing amount of pressure now. Last week, Apple exec Eddie Cue revealed during his testimony at the Google antitrust trial that search traffic had fallen for the first time ever in the company's history in the month of April. The news implied that AI was taking over traditional search sending Google shares in a nosedive.
NDTV
10-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Quark, China's Most Popular AI App, Launches 'Deep Search' Feature For Users
Beijing: Quark, the artificial intelligence (AI) application from Alibaba Group, has come up with an all-new 'deep search' function. It answers complex queries by users by combining the reasoning capabilities of its AI models and online search. The update is available across different platforms, including smartphones and PCs, according to the South China Morning Post. This comes after Quark clocked nearly 150 million monthly active users (MAUs) around the world to emerge as the most popular AI application in China in March 2025. It left behind ByteDance's Doubao as well as DeepSeek by a huge margin. They could only manage to get around 100 million and 77 million users, respectively. Quark claims its AI application is different from other conventional search engines that mainly rely on keywords. It can deliver "accurate" responses to user queries, as "deep search" feature takes maximum advantage of the Qwen AI models by Alibaba. A few months ago, the group announced revamping the web-search and cloud storage tool into the AI assistant -- a move that allowed the company to strengthen its footing in the AI industry. Zhang Fan, head of Quark's search business, said they will continue to enhance the deep search function and "focus on user needs" in its bid to emerge as an "all-around AI assistant," South China Morning Post reported. To use the 'deep search' function, you can ask a question in the mobile app. It will then analyse the user query and do an online search in a phased manner. It adjusts and refines its reasoning process by utilising the search results to offer a response to the user. Quark is not the first in the country to combine AI reasoning with online search. Similar features were earlier announced by the Kimi chatbot from Moonshot AI. This comes at a time when the internet search business worldwide is believed to be grappling with various challenges from various AI tools, the report stated. A few days ago, Apple's senior vice-president Eddie Cue said that Google searches on iPhone's Safari browser had fallen for the first time last month, as per The Verge. Speaking at Google's antitrust trial on Wednesday, Mr Cue noted this "never happened in 22 years". The decline in searches was linked by the Apple official to the growing use of artificial intelligence. As per reports, Apple receives nearly $20 billion from Google to make its search engine the default in Safari.
The Hill
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Google stock falls as Apple considers adding AI search engines
Google's stock took a hit Wednesday after an Apple executive testified in court that the iPhone maker is considering adding artificial intelligence (AI) search engines to its web browser as search traffic reportedly declines. The search giant saw its share price tumble 9 percent when Apple senior vice president of services Eddie Cue took the stand. Its stock recovered slightly Thursday, rising nearly 2 percent. Cue told the court Wednesday that search traffic on Safari fell for the first time last month due to AI, Bloomberg reported. He also said Apple will likely add AI search engines, such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity, to the browser. 'We will add them to the list — they probably won't be the default,' he said, according to Bloomberg. 'Prior to AI, my feeling around this was, none of the others were valid choices,' Cue added. 'I think today there is much greater potential because there are new entrants attacking the problem in a different way.' However, Google pushed back on the claim that search traffic was falling, arguing that the number of queries has continued to grow overall, including from Apple's devices and platforms. 'More generally, as we enhance Search with new features, people are seeing that Google Search is more useful for more of their queries — and they're accessing it for new things and in new ways, whether from browsers or the Google app, using their voice or Google Lens,' the company said in a statement. Cue's testimony comes as part of a multiweek hearing to determine remedies after Google was found to have an illegal monopoly over online search last August. At the heart of the case are a series of exclusive distribution agreements that Google struck with device manufacturers and browser developers, including Apple, to make its search engine the default. The court found the agreements to be unlawful, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking to block them going forward, in addition to pushing for a breakup of Google and its Chrome browser.
Mint
08-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
AI's threat to Google just got real
Google may not be such a hard habit to break after all. A senior Apple executive said Wednesday that Google searches over the Safari web browser fell over the last two months. 'That has not happened in over 20 years," Eddie Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, said on the witness stand during the penalty trial phase of the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Google. Cue attributed the drop to a growing number of people using generative AI services such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. It was a costly revelation. Google-parent Alphabet saw its share price tumble more than 7% Wednesday after news outlets reported the comments. That cost Alphabet about $250 billion in market cap. Apple's shares also fell more than 1% by the close, as Google's traffic over Safari powers a lucrative partnership that now generates more than $20 billion in annual payments to the iPhone maker. But for Google, the latest comments only serve to thicken the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over the company after losing not one but two federal antitrust cases over the last nine months. Both cases are seeking to break the company up in some fashion, under the basic argument that Google dominates the internet search business in such a way that even deep-pocketed challengers like Microsoft have little chance of breaking in. Google powered 89.7% of the world's internet searches last month, according to data from Statcounter. Microsoft's Bing was next up, with a 3.9% share. And yet, Google suddenly looks more vulnerable even without the government's intervention. Its near-90% search share now is down from around 93% in late 2022, when ChatGPT first launched. A small slip, to be sure. But Google has also remained below the 90% mark for most of the last six months, which is a duration not seen in at least a decade, according to Statcounter's data. As of last month, around 400 million people were using ChatGPT on a weekly basis, according to parent company OpenAI. Google's new vulnerability to competition could help bolster its case against a breakup. Microsoft, too, was once in the government's antitrust crosshairs but was actually laid low by technological shifts and its own missteps. Google remains the dominant name in the moneymaking part of the search business. MoffettNathanson analysts estimate that the 'vast majority" of search queries directed to AI chatbots are noncommercial in nature. But Alphabet isn't getting much credit anymore from Wall Street for that financial heft. The stock is now down nearly 12% over the last 12 months and fell below 16 times projected earnings on Wednesday for the first time in 12 years, according to FactSet data. That makes Google's parent the only megacap tech to be commanding a discount to the S&P 500 as a multiple of forward earnings, according to FactSet data. That might look compelling for a company now generating nearly $75 billion in annual free cash flow. But the prospect of disruption adds another red flag on top of the breakup risk. Google is cheap for a reason. Write to Dan Gallagher at
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alphabet stock rebounds, Wall Street analysts defend company after Apple's AI search plan triggers 7% sell-off
Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) stock rose about 1.4% early Thursday after several Wall Street banks defended the company after a 7% drop Wednesday spurred by a report that Apple (AAPL) may be looking to add AI search options to its web browser Safari. Alphabet-owned Google is currently the default search option for Apple's browser, for which it pays the iPhone-maker $20 billion annually. During testimony in the US Justice Department's lawsuit against Alphabet, Apple's senior vice president of services Eddie Cue said that Google searches on Safari declined for the first time last month, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. Cue indicated the decline in Safari searches occurred as customers turn to AI search providers and said Apple is 'actively looking at' adding AI search engines such as Perplexity to its default Safari web browser. Google said in a statement late Wednesday, "We continue to see overall query growth in Search. That includes an increase in total queries coming from Apple's devices and platforms." Analysts at Jefferies, TD Cowen, Citi, and JPMorgan were among those on Wall Street maintaining a Buy or Overweight rating on the stock. Jefferies analyst Brent Thill and JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur both called the reaction to Cue's commentary 'overdone.' Analysts said Apple's Cue was likely trying to argue that the search market is competitive, which would help bolster Google's case so that it doesn't lose its $20 billion deal. Sur said Apple 'has incentive for Google to appear weaker in search, while also emphasizing increased search competition and the significant impact to Apple's business.' Thill wrote: 'Considering Google's substantial payment to Apple to be its default search provider, it is logical that Apple might highlight data points supporting the narrative that Google is not anti-competitive in search, citing risks of AI providers, which could benefit Google's case in appealing against claims of anti-competitive behavior (Apple's Cue reportedly noted that GOOGL still offers the best financial terms).' TD Cowen's John Blackledge noted that Google's own AI overviews — an integration of its AI model Gemini within its search engine that summarizes search results — has 1.5 billion monthly users across 140 countries. He noted that AI Overview searches currently generate the same amount of revenue for Google as traditional searches, supporting the argument that AI-powered search won't cannibalize Google's core advertising business. Some investors have grown concerned that AI models will replace traditional search engines, a space dominated by Google, since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022. Big Tech firms have rushed to launch AI-powered search tools. Google has an AI tool for its search engine that summarizes results called AI Overviews as well as search option from its Gemini AI, but that's a separate option from Google Search. Microsoft (MSFT) also has an AI competitor in its Copilot search option. Apple already offers ChatGPT as a search option as part of its Apple Intelligence platform. Daniel Howley contributed reporting. Laura Bratton is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Bluesky @ Email her at Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. Sign in to access your portfolio
