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Vox
3 days ago
- Science
- Vox
These stories could change how you feel about AI
is an editorial director at Vox overseeing the climate, tech, and world teams, and is the editor of Vox's Future Perfect section. He worked at Time magazine for 15 years as a foreign correspondent in Asia, a climate writer, and an international editor, and he wrote a book on existential risk. Here's a selection of recent headlines about artificial intelligence, picked more or less at random: Okay, not exactly at random — I did look for more doomy-sounding headlines. But they weren't hard to find. That's because numerous studies indicate that negative or fear-framed coverage of AI in mainstream media tends to outnumber positive framings. But as in so many other areas, the emphasis on the negative in artificial intelligence risks overshadowing what could go right — both in the future as this technology continues to develop and right now. As a corrective (and maybe just to ingratiate myself to our potential future robot overlords), here's a roundup of one way in which AI is already making a positive difference in three important fields. Science Whenever anyone asks me about an unquestionably good use of AI, I point to one thing: AlphaFold. After all, how many other AI models have won their creators an actual Nobel Prize? AlphaFold, which was developed by the Google-owned AI company DeepMind, is an AI model that predicts the 3D structures of proteins based solely on their amino acid sequences. That's important because scientists need to predict the shape of protein to better understand how it might function and how it might be used in products like drugs. That's known as the 'protein-folding problem' — and it was a problem because while human researchers could eventually figure out the structure of a protein, it would often take them years of laborious work in the lab to do so. AlphaFold, through machine-learning methods I couldn't explain to you if I tried, can make predictions in as little as five seconds, with accuracy that is almost as good as gold-standard experimental methods. By speeding up a basic part of biomedical research, AlphaFold has already managed to meaningfully accelerate drug development in everything from Huntington's disease to antibiotic resistance. And Google DeepMind's decision last year to open source AlphaFold3, its most advanced model, for non-commercial academic use has greatly expanded the number of researchers who can take advantage of it. Medicine You wouldn't know it from watching medical dramas like The Pitt, but doctors spend a lot of time doing paperwork — two hours of it for every one hour they actually spend with a patient, by one count. Finding a way to cut down that time could free up doctors to do actual medicine and help stem the problem of burnout. That's where AI is already making a difference. As the Wall Street Journal reported this week, health care systems across the country are employing 'AI scribes' — systems that automatically capture doctor-patient discussions, update medical records, and generally automate as much as possible around the documentation of a medical interaction. In one pilot study employing AI scribes from Microsoft and a startup called Abridge, doctors cut back daily documentation time from 90 minutes to under 30 minutes. Not only do ambient-listening AI products free doctors from much of the need to make manual notes, but they can eventually connect new data from a doctor-patient interaction with existing medical records and ensure connections and insights on care don't fall between the cracks. 'I see it being able to provide insights about the patient that the human mind just can't do in a reasonable time,' Dr. Lance Owens, regional chief medical information officer at University of Michigan Health, told the Journal. Climate A timely warning about a natural disaster can mean the difference between life and death, especially in already vulnerable poor countries. That is why Google Flood Hub is so important. An open-access, AI-driven river-flood early warning system, Flood Hub provides seven-day flood forecasts for 700 million people in 100 countries. It works by marrying a global hydrology model that can forecast river levels even in basins that lack physical flood gauges with an inundation model that converts those predicted levels into high-resolution flood maps. This allows villagers to see exactly what roads or fields might end up underwater. Flood Hub, to my mind, is one of the clearest examples of how AI can be used for good for those who need it most. Though many rich countries like the US are included in Flood Hub, they mostly already have infrastructure in place to forecast the effects of extreme weather. (Unless, of course, we cut it all from the budget.) But many poor countries lack those capabilities. AI's ability to drastically reduce the labor and cost of such forecasts has made it possible to extend those lifesaving capabilities to those who need it most. One more cool thing: The NGO GiveDirectly — which provides direct cash payments to the global poor — has experimented with using Flood Hub warnings to send families hundreds of dollars in cash aid days before an expected flood to help themselves prepare for the worst. As the threat of extreme weather grows, thanks to climate change and population movement, this is the kind of cutting-edge philanthropy. AI for good Even what seems to be the best applications for AI can come with their drawbacks. The same kind of AI technology that allows AlphaFold to help speed drug development could conceivably be used one day to more rapidly design bioweapons. AI scribes in medicine raise questions about patient confidentiality and the risk of hacking. And while it's hard to find fault in an AI system that can help warn poor people about natural disasters, the lack of access to the internet in the poorest countries can limit the value of those warnings — and there's not much AI can do to change that. But with the headlines around AI leaning so apocalyptic, it's easy to overlook the tangible benefits AI already delivers. Ultimately AI is a tool. A powerful tool, but a tool nonetheless. And like any tool, what it will do — bad and good — will be determined by how we use it.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
YouTube tops Nielsen report for third consecutive month
(NewsNation) — For the third month in a row, YouTube has remained at the top of Nielsen's Media Distributor Gauge Report, beating out entertainment giants like Disney and Netflix. The April report shows that YouTube represented 12.4% of audiences' television-watching time. According to Nielsen, it was YouTube's largest share of TV to date. Disney held the second largest share all three months, the audience measurement company reported. It boasted 10.7% of total television in April, a 0.2-point gain over the month before. Paramount came in third with 8.9% of watch time in April. YouTube TV is hiking its monthly price, again. Here's what to know Deadline reported that YouTube took the lead in February with a record 11.6% of all TV viewing. It marked only the second time that YouTube finished on top since the Media Distributor Gauge Report was launched in late 2023. It was a particularly significant coup on YouTube's part since the report groups all Walt Disney Co. platforms — which include ESPN, ABC and streaming — together. Disney lost its edge in February, in part, because of the absence of NFL and college football playoffs, which boosted its numbers the month prior, Deadline reported. YouTube has for several years worked to build its viewership on TV screens, Variety reported. According to Deadline, the video platform's share of TV viewership has shot up by 53% in the span of just two years, from 7.9% in 2023 to February's 11.6%. YouTube ads will now play even when your video is paused Company CEO Neal Mohan also announced in February that for the first time in its 20-year history, the Google-owned media behemoth is getting a majority of its viewership via television sets instead of mobile devices and computer screens. Mohan wrote in his annual letter to the YouTube community that its content creators are 'becoming the startups of Hollywood.' 'Today's creators have moved from filming grainy videos of themselves on desktop computers to building studios and producing popular talk shows and feature-length films,' Mohan wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Spotify amps up podcast discovery with new features
Spotify on Wednesday announced a handful of new features designed to give podcasts a more prominent position in its app as it battles with Apple and YouTube to become users' preferred podcast streaming destination. The company says it will begin recommending podcasts on its Home page and provide a Following feed for staying up-to-date with the latest episodes of your favorite shows. Soon, Spotify will also roll out new tools for podcast creators to recommend content and better engage with their fans in comments. The changes, while relatively minor, are a part of Spotify's growing efforts to compete with Apple's Podcasts app and YouTube. The latter has been investing more heavily in podcasts in recent years. This month, for instance, YouTube launched its own weekly top podcast list to challenge Spotify and Apple. That chart highlights some major differences between the platforms in terms of what YouTube's video viewers prefer to watch. Meanwhile, Spotify has also invested in video podcasts, allowing all creators to upload video and incentivizing them with payments for successful shows through its Partner Program. Despite these efforts, YouTube remains the service to beat in the U.S., at least, where one-third of weekly podcast listeners prefer the Google-owned service to Spotify or Apple. Spotify says the new podcast recommendations on the Home tab have already started to roll out to global users, and early feedback suggests it's led to more users engaging with podcasts, saving, and liking shows. In addition, Spotify is introducing a Following feed that will serve as a dedicated spot where you can see all the latest episodes released by the podcasts you follow, instead of having to search across the app. (To access this feature, you'll tap on the Podcasts button at the top of the app, then the Following button that appears to its right.) Podcast creators will soon gain access to a new feature that lets them point to other content they mention in their podcast episode, which can also be found on Spotify -- including other podcasts, songs, audiobooks, playlists, and more. This will become available over the next few weeks and will be found on the episode page. In a smaller tweak, creators who participate in the comments of their podcast pages on the app will be able to use emoji reactions to respond to fans. The company notes that creators are still able to control when comments appear or opt out of showing them on their shows or episode pages via their Spotify for Creators account. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Meta's fate in FTC antitrust trial in limbo as judge weighs possible breakup
Meta's fate is up in the air after Mark Zuckerberg's dirty laundry was aired in a landmark antitrust trial brought by the Federal Trade Commission – though some experts warn that the social media giant could wriggle out of the breakup sought by regulators. The seven-week trial concluded Tuesday after multiple bombshells about Meta's inner workings – including a 2012 email in which Zuckerberg admitted buying Instagram would 'neutralize a competitor' and internal reports showing executives panicking that Instagram was steering minors toward adult sex creeps it called 'groomers.' Despite the embarrassing evidence, the case's outcome is expected to hinge on how US District Judge James Boasberg defines the market in which Meta operates. 4 Mark Zuckerberg's old emails were a key part of the FTC's case. AP The FTC argued that Meta has an illegal monopoly over a narrowly-defined market of social media firms built on friends-and-family connections, with Snapchat as its only real competitor. Meta pushed back, arguing its apps face tough competition from rivals like TikTok and Google-owned YouTube for user attention. Meta has called the FTC's case 'weak' and, in a show of confidence, wrapped up its defense earlier than expected last week after calling just a few witnesses. That's a signal that its lawyers see the market definition issue as a strong argument against a breakup, according to Christine Bartholomew, an antitrust expert and professor at University at Buffalo School of Law. 'In a monopoly case, the victor of the dispute on how to define the market is often the overall victor,' Bartholomew said. 'Like most defendants in these kinds of cases, Meta is arguing the market is broader. The larger the relevant market, the less the potential anticompetitive impact of Meta's alleged conduct.' The FTC has accused Meta of using a 'buy or bury' strategy to stifle upstart social media apps like Instagram and WhatsApp before they could threaten its social media empire. The agency wants a forced selloff of Instagram, acquired for $1 billion in 2012, and WhatsApp, acquired for $18 billion in 2014. 4 The FTC is seeking a breakup of Meta. Getty Images The smoking-gun emails are the strongest part of the FTC's case, according to Bartholomew. In one 2018 message, Zuckerberg mused on whether Meta should 'consider the extreme step of spinning Instagram out' to get ahead of regulators. 'They confirm the FTC's narrative that Meta's acquisitions were intended to minimize competition,' Bartholomew said. 'These were not deals meant to improve a product or enhance consumer benefit. Rather, they were acquisitions meant to shield Meta from perceived competitive threats.' The FTC declined to comment. 'After six weeks trying their case to undo acquisitions made over a decade ago and show that no deal is ever truly final, the only thing the FTC showed was the dynamic, hyper-competitive nature of the past, present and future of the technology industry,' a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. 4 Zuckerberg was the first witness called to the stand. Getty Images During the trial, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom testified that Zuckerberg had treated his app as a 'threat' to the company's core Facebook business. Systrom said he felt Zuckerberg had starved Instagram of necessary resources, including approving necessary headcount to improve safety standards on the app in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg and Meta argued that Instagram's rise to prominence wasn't a sure thing – and that the company helped rather than hurt its growth. The company's attorneys also petitioned the judge to toss the case mid-trial, arguing the FTC had failed to meet its burden of evidence. Boasberg rejected the petition. 4 The FTC surfaced many Facebook emails and internal documents during the trial. Getty Images While the final outcome is difficult to predict, cases focused on potential violations of Section 2 of the Sherman Act – where liability hinges on whether a monopoly exists over a specific market – face a high bar to prove and are notoriously difficult to win. 'There are too many ways a plaintiff can lose,' Bartholomew said. With in-person arguments wrapped up, attorneys for the FTC and Meta will next submit written briefs outlining their arguments for and against a breakup for the judge's review. Boasberg has said he will move 'expeditiously' to issue a ruling in the case. If the judge rules in Meta's favor, the FTC is expected to appeal. If the judge sides with the FTC and determines Meta has broken the law, a second trial would be held to decide appropriate remedies. Meta would assuredly appeal.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Google paid $100 million to this Indian-American exec so he wouldn't leave to join Twitter
Neal Mohan isn't a household name, but in Silicon Valley, he is known as the man who shaped the digital advertising landscape and YouTube's product roadmap. The Indian-American executive has long preferred to stay behind the scenes, quietly executing strategies that helped Google and YouTube become global powerhouses. However, Neal Mohan recently sat down with Nikhil Kamath for a podcast where the host referred to a little-known fact about the CEO of YouTube. Kamath revealed that Google once paid $100 million to retain Neal Mohan so he would not join Twitter (now called X). Neal Mohan became the centre of a high-stakes talent tug-of-war between Google and Twitter in 2011. The war ended with a jaw-dropping $100 million stock grant. After graduating from Stanford in 1996 with a degree in electrical engineering, Mohan began his career at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). A year later, he joined a small startup called NetGravity, which was later acquired by DoubleClick. and Mohan's real journey began. At DoubleClick, Neal Mohan rose quickly through the ranks - moving from services to sales operations to eventually becoming Vice President, Business Operations. His talent and product instincts caught the attention of David Rosenblatt, who would later play an important role in Mohan's career. When DoubleClick hit troubled waters, the two crafted a new vision for the company. Their efforts paid off handsomely when Google acquired DoubleClick in 2007 for $3.1 billion, reported Business Insider. At the same time, Twitter was struggling to evolve into a mature business. Rosenblatt had joined the board of Twitter and wanted to rope in Mohan as its chief product officer. Google wasn't going to let Mohan go without a fight. In a dramatic counter-offer, the company offered him more than $100 million in restricted stock units — a package designed to vest over several years, reported TechCrunch. The rest, as they say, is history. Neal Mohan went on to become the CEO of Google-owned YouTube and remains a valuable member of the Google family.
