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Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Education becomes a new battlefield in the AI war between OpenAI and Google
OpenAI introduced a major update to ChatGPT on Tuesday with the launch of Study Mode, a new feature designed to help students learn, rather than just giving them answers. This is the latest sign that education is becoming a new battlefield in the AI war. ChatGPT has been seen as a cheating tool in the past because it helped students easily knock out essays and other homework without much work. Study Mode tackles this by purposely injecting friction into the process — friction that's needed for humans to actually learn. The move signals a strategic push by OpenAI to position its flagship AI product not just as a productivity tool, but as an educational companion that could help the company attract and retain more younger users. "When ChatGPT is prompted to teach or tutor, it can significantly improve academic performance. But when it's just used as an answer machine, it can hinder learning," Leah Belsky, VP of education at OpenAI, said. Younger mindshare OpenAI sees Study Mode as part of a broader educational vision. "For educators, AI can free up time for the human work of teaching. For institutions, AI will become core infrastructure, like the internet, reshaping how we teach, research, and run operations," Belsky added. "For students, AI holds the most powerful potential of all, the ability to serve as a personal tutor that never gets tired of their questions." Winning the mindshare of a younger audience is key for Big Tech companies because, as these people grow up and enter the workforce, they often take the tools they learned to use in school and spread them across companies and the broader society. Google mastered this technique years ago when it got young students hooked on free workplace apps, including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Now, these users are older and have brought this software into more official work situations, where companies often pay for access through Google's Workspace service. Google vs. OpenAI, with Khan in the mix A replay of this strategy is beginning to play out in the generative AI arena, where OpenAI, Google, and others are racing to redefine digital education through more personalized AI learning experiences. Last year, Khan Academy, a pioneering online education provider, launched Khanmingo, an AI-powered assistant for teachers and students that uses OpenAI technology. Earlier this year, Google announced Gemini for Education, which offers tools such as bespoke quizzes, AI-generated lesson plans and simulations, along with study video overviews. On Tuesday, the company unveiled new education features that are woven into its new AI Mode in Google Search. Last week, OpenAI unveiled a tighter integration with Canvas, the leading learning app used by thousands of schools and colleges in the US. This week, the startup launched Study Mode. It's available to all logged-in users of ChatGPT Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans starting on Tuesday. It will roll out to ChatGPT Edu in coming weeks. From answers to learning Unlike traditional interactions with ChatGPT, which often deliver quick, complete answers, Study Mode actively avoids this, and instead guides students along a learning journey by asking them to clarify questions, while gauging their skill levels and tailoring explanations, quizzes and other responses accordingly. In Study Mode, if a student tells the chatbot to just give the answer, the technology will respond by reminding them they're here to learn, and then it will try to entice them back into the learning flow with another question or suggestion. The technology incorporates Socratic questioning techniques, personalized feedback, and a knowledge check, with a goal of encouraging learners to reflect, struggle, and engage deeply — trying to mimic the role of a patient human tutor. The feature was built with input from teachers, learning scientists, and pedagogy experts from about 40 institutions, according to OpenAI. The underlying system instructions were designed to foster curiosity and help students understand the material rather than memorize answers. Study Mode's current implementation uses custom system instructions rather than deep AI model training. This helped OpenAI release the first version of Study Mode quicker, and will let the company iterate on the product based on more student feedback. The startup said it plans to incorporate these behaviors into its core models over time, signaling an even deeper integration of pedagogy into AI design.
Euronews
14 hours ago
- Health
- Euronews
Staring at screens all day? Here's how to protect your eyes
Screens have become an inescapable part of our daily lives. From replying to work emails on a laptop to doomscrolling through brain rot on TikTok, the average adult now racks up more than six hours of screen time every day – nearly a third of our waking lives. The shift to remote and hybrid working has only intensified this. With Zoom meetings, Slack pings, Google Docs, and Teams chats becoming the new office norm, our eyes rarely get a break. The big problem, according to UK-based optometrist Shahina Pardhan, is the strain we put on our eye muscles. "When you're looking at a digital screen up close, like a smartphone, your eyes have to focus at that short distance. To do that, they use muscle power, specifically the ciliary muscle inside the eye," Pardhan,** who leads the Director of Vision and Eye Research Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, told Euronews Health. "With sustained use, especially as we get older and those muscles don't work as well as they used to, the muscle gets really tired," she added. The pressure can have a serious impact on our wellbeing. While estimates vary, many people have Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), also known as digital eye strain, with symptoms ranging from dry, irritated eyes to headaches, blurred vision, and fatigue. But these symptoms don't have to be inevitable. Here are five evidence-based tips to give your eyes a break – and protect your vision for the long haul. 1. Practice the 20-20-20 rule One of the most widely recommended techniques to reduce digital eye strain is the 20-20-20 rule, proposed by the American Optometric Association (AOA). It suggests that every 20 minutes, you should look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Studies have shown that teaching this technique to people with CVS helped to ease their dry eye symptoms. "When you look at something around 20 feet away, you're actually relaxing those eye muscles," Pardhan said. "Even just 20 seconds of that can really help". However, the results are mixed on whether the method helps with tear film stability, which helps ensure eyes stay lubricated and vision stays clear. 2. Optimise your work station and screen position The way your workspace is set up can make a huge difference to your eye health. Poor lighting, bad screen angles, and reflective glare are some of the biggest culprits behind digital eye strain. "It's really important to keep your screen at eye level," Pardhan said, regardless of whether it's your smartphone or computer. "Tilting your head down can put a lot of strain on the neck, increasing stress on the spine and shoulders". Additionally, bright overhead lights or sunlight pouring through a window can reflect off of your screen, forcing your eyes to work harder and causing discomfort. To cut down on glare, try using an anti-reflective screen filter or adjust the lighting in your room so it's soft and indirect. If you work near a window, avoid placing your screen directly in front of or behind it. 3. Blink more than you think Blinking lubricates the eyes by spreading tears across the cornea. But researchers say that when we're glued to screens, our blink rate can drop by as much as 66 per cent, raising the risk of getting dry eyes. Studies show that the average person blinks 15 to 20 times per minute. But this rate drops significantly when working at a computer, to around four to six times per minute. To keep your eyes from drying out, try sticking a small reminder on your monitor or around your workplace – even something simple like 'Blink!' or a visual cue that nudges you to give your eyes a break. And also don't forget your surroundings. If your space is dry, for example if you have central heating or air conditioning, keeping your environment well-hydrated can also help. 'Just having a humidifier or even just a bowl of water or a vase of flowers with water will humidify the air and it won't dry out the atmosphere as much," Pardhan said. 4. Use blue light filters Blue light – the high-energy visible light emitted by LED screens – is more than just a sleep disruptor. Studies show that prolonged exposure to blue light, particularly in the 400 to 470 nanometre range, can contribute to retinal stress and damage, increasing the risk of eye discomfort. Pardhan said that "very bright screens – especially when used in a dark environment – can be harsh on the eyes. They cause your pupils to contract due to the glare, which is the opposite of what your eyes naturally need in low-light settings". Thankfully, most modern devices offer night mode or blue light filter settings. Activating these reduces blue light exposure, especially in low-light environments. Additionally, wearing blue light blocking glasses, especially at nighttime, can provide extra protection. Keep in mind, though, that blue light filters can only do so much. Research indicates they do not protect against serious eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. 5. Use your devices more mindfully Even when we're off the clock, many of us instinctively turn to screens for downtime – scrolling through social media, binge-watching shows, or falling into YouTube rabbit holes. But those micro-moments of leisure can quietly add up. Cutting back on non-essential screen time, especially outside of work hours, can give your eyes the rest they desperately need. A good starting point is to use your device's built-in tools that track how much time you're spending on different apps and websites. There are also smartphone apps designed to help reduce screen time. The Forest app, for example, lets you 'plant a tree' that grows the longer you stay off your phone. If you give in and start scrolling, your tree dies. Users say it is oddly motivating – and it even helps plant real trees through a partner initiative. Another option is OneSec, which adds a one-second delay before opening apps like Instagram or TikTok. That tiny pause can help disrupt your autopilot habit and give your brain just enough time to ask: Do I really want to open this right now?
Tom's Guide
15 hours ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Forget ChatGPT — here's why NotebookLM is better for team projects
If you're using ChatGPT to handle your next big group project, it might be time to rethink your workflow. Google's NotebookLM just got a major overhaul last month, which means it now offers some useful advantages when it comes to collaboration, content grounding and research comprehension. Originally launched as a personal research assistant, NotebookLM is quickly evolving into one of the most powerful AI tools for teams. With new features like public notebook sharing, expert-curated collections, audio summaries in 50+ languages and visual mind maps, it may be the best-kept secret in AI productivity. Here's why NotebookLM is quickly becoming the better choice for group work, and why I think it outshines ChatGPT in key areas. While ChatGPT often pulls from general training data (and may hallucinate facts), NotebookLM limits its responses to documents you upload, PDFs, Google Docs, transcripts, articles and images. That means every summary, answer and mind map is directly sourced from your own content, making it far more trustworthy for team research. NotebookLM now supports public notebook sharing. That means you can create a collaborative research space, generate summaries, and share it with your team via a simple link, minus a required login. Team members can ask follow-up questions, read AI-generated FAQs, or listen to podcast-style overviews without touching the original files. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The site shows hundreds of thousands of public notebooks have already been created and available for users; an indication of just how quickly teams are adopting this. Auto-generated mind maps based on your uploaded material is a visual, AI-generated summary of your documents that helps you (and your team) understand complex topics at a glance. It turns a long report, article or collection of documents into an interactive web of connected ideas. The AI breaks down your source into interconnected themes and concepts, displayed in a visual, color-coded map you can explore, zoom in on, or export as a PNG for presentations. For visual learners or remote teams trying to stay aligned, it's a game changer, something ChatGPT currently can't do natively. NotebookLM now creates audio overviews of your content; short (5-minute) or extended (10-minute) formats with support for over 50 languages. It's useful for global teams. You can download them for offline listening, too, which can be helpful for commuting or low-connectivity environments. One thing I appreciate about the latest update from NotebookLM, is that I don't have to start from scratch. Google now offers featured notebooks created by subject-matter experts and major publications like The Atlantic and The Economist. These include curated source material, AI-generated FAQs, and mind maps on topics like mental health, parenting and Shakespeare. If you're like me and don't like to start a research project cold, these featured notebooks are like a head start, with just a prompt. NotebookLM now has dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android, complete with offline support. Testing Catalog reported that Google is testing video overviews and a more intuitive Studio Panel interface that could allow you to share just one element, say, a mind map or an audio clip, without sharing the whole notebook. Perhaps most surprisingly, NotebookLM is completely free (for now). Unlike ChatGPT's best features, which are locked behind a $20/month paywall, NotebookLM is accessible to anyone with a Google account, making it a no-brainer for teams on a budget. If you're collaborating with a group, NotebookLM is now arguably better equipped to handle your team's needs. From shared access and curated insights to audio overviews and mind maps, Google's upgraded AI tool is quietly becoming the best platform for collaborative thinking.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Staffbase announces integration with Google Workspace to enable more seamless internal communications for enterprises
NEW YORK, July 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Staffbase, the leading employee communications cloud platform, trusted by thousands of global organizations, today announced an integration with Google Workspace, reinforcing its commitment to delivering seamless, scalable internal communications experiences for enterprises using Google Workspace. With valuable information often scattered across digital tools, organizations using Google Workspace need to ensure they can deliver the right communication to employees at the right time. Staffbase helps address this need by meeting employees where they are with intuitive, mobile-first, and personalized communication experiences that span the entire workforce. Available integrations allow Staffbase customers using Google Workspace to embed key Google tools directly into the Staffbase experience, including enhanced Google Search functionality, content widgets, and deeper connectivity across Google Docs, Google Drive, and other Workspace components. These capabilities make it easier for organizations to drive awareness, engagement, and usage of their internal resources. 'Staffbase has long supported customers operating within the Google ecosystem, and this new integration we created for Google Workspace reinforces our commitment,' said David Maffei, Staffbase GM and SVP of the Americas. 'We're proud to offer enterprises a unified solution that complements Google Workspace and helps address the need to reach every employee with relevant, trusted communication, whether they're behind a desk or out in the field.' About Staffbase Staffbase is a leading platform for employee communications, enabling companies to engage, inform, and align their workforces across locations, languages, and devices. With solutions built for the modern intranet, personalized communication, and measurable impact, Staffbase helps organizations drive employee connection and business performance. Learn more at . Media Contact Samantha Grandinetti
Fox News
3 days ago
- Fox News
How fake Microsoft alerts trick you into phishing scams
A phishing scam posing as a Microsoft security alert is targeting users with emails that claim an alert has been triggered on their account. The link appears safe at first glance, often pointing to a Google Docs or SharePoint page. But that's part of the trap. Once clicked, it redirects to a fake Microsoft login page designed to steal your credentials. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my This scam begins with an email that appears to be a legitimate Microsoft security alert. It claims an issue has been detected on your account and prompts you to click a link to view more details. The language is vague but urgent, designed to create concern and get you to act quickly. What makes this phishing attempt especially deceptive is the use of trusted platforms. Instead of linking directly to a malicious site, the email includes a link to a legitimate service, such as Google Docs or SharePoint. At first glance, the link looks safe. But once opened, it quietly redirects you to a fake Microsoft login page built to steal your credentials. In some cases, the attackers also modify support contact details to route victims to scam-operated phone numbers. Phishing emails can be surprisingly convincing, but there are a few clear signs to watch for: 1. Think before you click: Always check the sender's email and hover over links before clicking. If the message looks suspicious, do not click the link. Instead, go directly to your Microsoft account using a trusted browser. 2. Only approve 2FA requests you initiate: Even if a scammer gets your password, 2FA can stop them from getting into your account. Just ensure that you only approve login requests that you've personally initiated. If you get a random prompt on your phone or authentication app, do not approve it. 3. Report phishing emails: Use Outlook's built-in tools to report suspicious messages as phishing. You can also forward them to Microsoft at reportphishing@ 4. Use strong antivirus software: Consider using strong antivirus software with built-in phishing and link protection to catch threats before they reach you. Stay vigilant when it comes to emails, phone calls, or messages from unknown sources asking for personal information. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or providing sensitive details unless you can verify the legitimacy of the request. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. For the best antivirus protection in 2025, visit 5. Never share sensitive info: Microsoft will never ask for your password, 2FA code, or payment details via email. If you're unsure, log in directly from a browser to check. 6. Consider personal data removal services: After phishing attempts, your data may end up circulating among data brokers, increasing your risk of future scams and identity theft. Data removal services can help reduce the visibility of your personal information by submitting removal requests to dozens of people-search and broker sites. This limits how easily scammers and spammers can find and target you. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Fake Microsoft alerts are carefully crafted to appear genuine, which is why it's crucial to remain cautious. Always verify messages through official channels, avoid clicking suspicious links, and report anything that doesn't seem right. A few extra seconds of caution can help protect your account and your personal data. Have you ever received a suspicious alert email claiming to be from Microsoft? Let us know by writing us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
