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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Will AI doom the last of us? As a writer, I don't feel safe
But I have a more down-to-earth worry: How much longer will I have a job as a writer, which I feel lucky to hold as my vocation? AI seemed to happen gradually, then suddenly (to quote Ernest Hemingway, one of my favorite human authors). In recent months, I've noticed that no matter what I'm doing online - writing a column in Google Docs, an email in Outlook, a note to a friend on Instagram - an AI bot will pop in to ask if I would like "help" crafting my message. As someone who makes my living with words and enjoys using them, I find AI's uninvited intrusions into my day not just annoying, but alarming. I'll admit, as an opinion columnist, I had thought that my skills were safe from robot replacement - at least in my lifetime. Aren't reason and persuasion uniquely human abilities? What does it mean if they aren't? Opinion: Dems are mad about Biden book. Jake Tapper must be a deep undercover MAGA agent. Hot takes from an artificial 'mind'? No thanks. Lest you think I'm overreacting, real-world newspapers in the United States already are turning to AI to craft news and opinion for their readers. For instance, the Los Angeles Times has started offering online readers the option to read AI-generated counterpoints to the opinion columns it runs. The "Insights" feature judges the piece's point of view and then spits out an opposing argument. That was the brainchild of Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who wants the opinion pages to reflect a broader range of views. "If you just have the one side, it's just going to be an echo chamber," Soon-Shiong told Fox News about the project, saying he thinks it's important "that all voices be heard." Now, as a conservative writer in a liberal media world, I respect Soon-Shiong's quest for balance. And I appreciate that my newspaper has crafted an opinion team with many different points of view - something that wasn't always the case. But robots? Is that where we want other perspectives to come from? Opinion: NPR has a right to exist. That doesn't mean it has a right to my tax dollars. The Times, as you might expect, has already run into some awkward AI offerings. It isn't alone, though. This month, several newspapers, including the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer, ran a syndicated summer book list that included books ... that don't exist. Only five of the 15 recommended books were real, although I'll acknowledge that some of the made-up titles sounded interesting. The writer who "created" the list has admitted to using AI, and has since been fired. The idea of news and commentary coming from a bot is unsettling, and not just because of my job security. Plenty of Americans feel the same way. New research from the Poynter Institute and the University of Minnesota found nearly half of those surveyed don't want news from generative artificial intelligence. And 20% said the media shouldn't use AI at all. I decided to take AI for a test drive. What do you think of the result? Given my fear of being replaced by a robot, I've stayed away from sites like ChatGPT, although I've received many examples from friends and family of what it can do. But I decided to give it a simple prompt: "Write a column in the style of Ingrid Jacques of USA TODAY." Opinion: Not funny, John Oliver - Standing for religious liberty doesn't equate to 'hate.' In mere seconds, it "wrote" a 675-word column, complete with a headline and byline. I'll share the first few lines of what popped up: The Uncomfortable Truth About Wokeism By Ingrid Jacques The American cultural landscape is being shaped by a force so pervasive, so influential, that it seems to touch every corner of our lives. I'm not talking about the rise of artificial intelligence, nor the latest social media craze. No, I'm referring to the ideology of "wokeism," which, like a slow-moving storm, is now fully entrenched in our schools, workplaces, and public discourse. Not bad, right? And I thought the nod to AI was apropos, given the topic of this column. It's still creepy, though. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. With the current political divisions in our country, I believe that sharing different points of view in a civil way is more important than ever, and I worry about the implications if those "thoughts" are coming from something nonhuman. So, while this may come as a disappointment to some of you, you're stuck with the "real" me. For now. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@ or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Forget ChatGPT — I prefer to use Gemini for these 3 things
ChatGPT might dominate headlines (and yes, I use it constantly), but Google's Gemini still has a permanent tab open on my laptop. As someone who tests AI tools for a living, I know no single chatbot does it all. And while ChatGPT-4o may feel smoother and smarter in conversation, Gemini quietly outperforms it in a few key areas; especially when it comes to deep research, certain aspects of productivity and getting things done inside Google's ecosystem. Here are three things I still turn to Gemini for — and why I don't plan on quitting anytime soon. We've seen how Gemini can help declutter Gmail, which is a huge help personally and professionally. But, more so, Gemini's multimodal integration with Google Docs, Sheets and Gmail makes a huge difference in numerous I'm working on a big project, I can feed Gemini PDFs, images and raw data — and it can actually handle them all at NotebookLM, Gemini not only remembers key information from uploaded files, but it summarizes and connects ideas better than ChatGPT in a research context. While ChatGPT-4o has impressive multimodal abilities, it's Gemini's Workspace integration that truly sets it apart. As someone that uses Google Workspace every day, using Gemini when I'm working across docs, emails, and spreadsheets is a no-brainer. Gemini has an unfair advantage over ChatGPT: it lives inside my Google account. That means it knows my Calendar, understands my inbox and helps manage tasks across Gmail, Docs and Calendar without me having to paste anything in. If I ask it to summarize a meeting invite, draft a follow-up or find a file from last week, it can actually do it and faster than I can. ChatGPT, unless I upload everything manually, can't offer that kind of personalized, integrated support (yet). Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. When I need to find fresh data, trends or breaking news, Gemini's real-time web access often beats ChatGPT, especially for fact-checking and sourcing. Gemini's Deep Research feature makes diving deep into just about any subject fast and less daunting. The AI's ability to cite Google Search results in context is helpful when I'm writing something that needs attribution. Yes, ChatGPT can browse, too, but Gemini tends to surface clearer results with stronger formatting, and sometimes it just gets to the point faster. ChatGPT is still my go-to for many tasks, but for real-world workflows inside the Google ecosystem, Gemini earns its spot. To be clear, it's not about picking a side. In fact, I've found that using ChatGPT, Google and other chatbots together gets the best all about having the right tool for the job. And sometimes, Gemini is that tool.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Is it me or ChatGPT? As AI grows smarter, I have a down-to-earth worry: my job.
Is it me or ChatGPT? As AI grows smarter, I have a down-to-earth worry: my job. | Opinion As someone who makes my living with words and enjoys using them, I find AI's uninvited intrusions into my day not just annoying, but alarming. Show Caption Hide Caption How to use AI rewriting tools Artificial Intelligence can instantly proofread your writing and make suggestions to tweak the tone of a message, paper or presentation. Problem Solved Many have commented lately about the supersonic rise of artificial intelligence and what it means for our future – and our very existence. The questions that AI poses for our society, economy and democracy are valid and challenging. But I have a more down-to-earth worry: How much longer will I have a job as a writer, which I feel lucky to hold as my vocation? AI seemed to happen gradually, then suddenly (to quote Ernest Hemingway, one of my favorite human authors). In recent months, I've noticed that no matter what I'm doing online – writing a column in Google Docs, an email in Outlook, a note to a friend on Instagram − an AI bot will pop in to ask if I would like 'help' crafting my message. As someone who makes my living with words and enjoys using them, I find AI's uninvited intrusions into my day not just annoying, but alarming. I'll admit, as an opinion columnist, I had thought that my skills were safe from robot replacement – at least in my lifetime. Aren't reason and persuasion uniquely human abilities? What does it mean if they aren't? Opinion: Dems are mad about Biden book. Jake Tapper must be a deep undercover MAGA agent. Hot takes from an artificial 'mind'? No thanks. Lest you think I'm overreacting, real-world newspapers in the United States already are turning to AI to craft news and opinion for their readers. For instance, the Los Angeles Times has started offering online readers the option to read AI-generated counterpoints to the opinion columns it runs. The 'Insights' feature judges the piece's point of view and then spits out an opposing argument. That was the brainchild of Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who wants the opinion pages to reflect a broader range of views. 'If you just have the one side, it's just going to be an echo chamber,' Soon-Shiong told Fox News about the project, saying he thinks it's important "that all voices be heard.' Now, as a conservative writer in a liberal media world, I respect Soon-Shiong's quest for balance. And I appreciate that my newspaper has crafted an opinion team with many different points of view – something that wasn't always the case. But robots? Is that where we want other perspectives to come from? Opinion: NPR has a right to exist. That doesn't mean it has a right to my tax dollars. The Times, as you might expect, has already run into some awkward AI offerings. It isn't alone, though. This month, several newspapers, including the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer, ran a syndicated summer book list that included books ... that don't exist. Only five of the 15 recommended books were real, although I'll acknowledge that some of the made-up titles sounded interesting. The writer who 'created' the list has admitted to using AI, and has since been fired. The idea of news and commentary coming from a bot is unsettling, and not just because of my job security. Plenty of Americans feel the same way. New research from the Poynter Institute and the University of Minnesota found nearly half of those surveyed don't want news from generative artificial intelligence. And 20% said the media shouldn't use AI at all. I decided to take AI for a test drive. What do you think of the result? Given my fear of being replaced by a robot, I've stayed away from sites like ChatGPT, although I've received many examples from friends and family of what it can do. But I decided to give it a simple prompt: "Write a column in the style of Ingrid Jacques of USA TODAY." Opinion: Not funny, John Oliver – Standing for religious liberty doesn't equate to 'hate.' In mere seconds, it 'wrote' a 675-word column, complete with a headline and byline. I'll share the first few lines of what popped up: The Uncomfortable Truth About Wokeism By Ingrid Jacques The American cultural landscape is being shaped by a force so pervasive, so influential, that it seems to touch every corner of our lives. I'm not talking about the rise of artificial intelligence, nor the latest social media craze. No, I'm referring to the ideology of 'wokeism,' which, like a slow-moving storm, is now fully entrenched in our schools, workplaces, and public discourse. Not bad, right? And I thought the nod to AI was apropos, given the topic of this column. It's still creepy, though. With the current political divisions in our country, I believe that sharing different points of view in a civil way is more important than ever, and I worry about the implications if those 'thoughts' are coming from something nonhuman. So, while this may come as a disappointment to some of you, you're stuck with the 'real' me. For now. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@ or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Anthropic rolls out voice mode for Claude
Anthropic AI has launched the beta version of voice mode for their AI chatbot Claude. The feature is being rolled out in English over the upcoming weeks, the company said on X. The voice assistant will be powered by Anthropic's latest Claude Sonnet 4 model. A promo video clip posted by the company showed that users can ask Claude via voice mode to access apps like Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendars to check what meetings they have set up. It can also search the web and switch between text and voice whenever. Voice Mode will have five different options for users to choose from. For free users, Claude just has 20-30 voice messages while paid users have 'significantly higher' usage limits, a blog posted by the company said. Additionally, only subscribers to the paid plan can connect voice mode with Google Workspace for access to Google apps.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Impact of cloud computing in higher education
In today's fast-paced and digital world, technology is no longer a support tool, it's at the core of modern education. Among the most transformative innovations is cloud computing, a technology that enables access to data and applications over the internet instead of relying on local servers or personal computers. From virtual classrooms to collaborative research, cloud computing is revolutionizing higher education, especially for students. What is Cloud Computing? Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services like storage, databases, software, and networking over the internet — or 'the cloud.' This eliminates the need for physical infrastructure and gives users access to scalable and flexible resources from anywhere in the world. Why Cloud Computing Matters in Higher Education According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global cloud computing in education market is projected to grow from USD 8.13 billion in 2016 to USD 25.36 billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 25.6% . This growth reflects the increasing need for scalable, cost-effective, and remote learning solutions. Benefits for Students 1. Anywhere, Anytime Learning Students can access learning materials and submit assignments from any internet-connected device, enabling continuous learning outside of campus. l 71% of students prefer cloud-based tools due to the convenience and accessibility they offer. 2. Collaborative Learning Cloud computing enables group work and team projects with tools like Google Docs, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. A study by McKinsey & Co. emphasized that digital collaboration tools significantly improve learning outcomes in higher education 3. Access to Advanced Tools Students gain access to: l Virtual labs for science and engineering courses l Cloud-based coding environments like Google Colab and Jupyter Notebooks l Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle and Canvas 4. Reduced Costs Cloud computing reduces the need for physical textbooks, on-campus lab infrastructure, and high-end devices. Institutions using cloud solutions can save up to 30% annually on IT costs, according to IBM Cloud Education Benefits for Universities (That Indirectly Help Students) l Scalability: Institutions can scale operations to support thousands of students. l Data Security: Cloud platforms offer automatic backup, encryption, and compliance with data privacy standards. l Sustainability: Reducing paper usage and energy consumption helps institutions move toward greener campuses. Challenges & Considerations Despite the advantages, cloud computing presents certain risks: 1. Privacy Concerns Without proper security protocols, student data can be compromised. l 60% of educational institutions reported experiencing at least one cloud-related data breach 2. Internet Dependence Students in rural areas or regions with poor connectivity may face limited access to online resources. 3. Learning Curve Not all students and faculty are adept at using cloud tools, which can hinder adoption. What Students Should Do l Learn to use platforms like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Zoom. l Explore cloud-based labs and tools relevant to your academic stream. l Practice virtual collaboration, a key skill for future workplaces. Cloud computing is not just an IT upgrade — it's an educational revolution. It enhances access, enables collaboration, and makes learning more efficient and cost-effective. As cloud adoption increases in higher education, students who embrace it will gain a competitive edge not only academically but also professionally. The future of education is in the cloud — and it's already here. (The author is Director Admissions & Outreach, Noida International University)
