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Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
California Bar Exam Changes Hundreds of Scores From 'Fail' to 'Pass'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. More than 200 California Bar Exam test takers have had their scores revised after the State Bar of California re-scored tests taken in February. This decision comes after multiple lawsuits were filed over the February exam, a test that was riddled with technical difficulties, including some test-takers not even being able to access the test online as its platform kept crashing. Now, 230 more test takers have been told they passed the exam. While the California State Bar has said the exam "was marred by widespread technological, environmental, and proctor issues causing unacceptable disruptions for some test takers," some lawyers have expressed concern that the new scoring from February's test will result in unqualified lawyers practicing in the state. In this July 14, 2010, file photo, gavels and law books are shown in the office of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George at his office in San Francisco, California. In this July 14, 2010, file photo, gavels and law books are shown in the office of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George at his office in San Francisco, California. Jeff Chiu, file/AP Photo Why It Matters This mass score adjustment potentially alters the trajectory of hundreds of legal careers and places a heightened focus on the credibility of bar licensing in the country's most populous state. The February test faced technological glitches as it was the first iteration of the bar exam in California to be taken as a hybrid model, not a solely in-person test. The lengthy technological and legal challenges faced following the examination raise questions about how to best modernize the bar exam across the US. What To Know February Exam Difficulties Test takers in February faced several technological and environmental difficulties. At the time of the test, Reuters reported people experiencing internet outages in official examination rooms and proctor disruptions. The California Bar reported that several test-takers with accommodations for learning difficulties were unable to access their extra time due to the program freezing or due to the start of the test being delayed. Other accommodation issues reported by the California Bar included the camera monitoring policy, which reduced test takers' bathroom, food, medication, or rest breaks; noise in proctored exam rooms; and people being denied previously approved accommodations, such as semi-private rooms and speech-to-text headphones. Additionally, the California Bar found that several test takers had been graded on someone else's exam and/or essay responses, and they found that 13 test takers were told they did not pass when they actually did. Following the exam, two test takers and the California Bar sued the company that administered the faulty exam, Meazure Learning. Details of the Scoring Change The Committee of Bar Examiners revised its policy for examinees whose scores were marginally below passing and who qualified for a second review of written responses. Initially, the bar averaged the first and second-read scores. The new policy assigns the higher of the two scores, Reuters reported. This adjustment affected 230 test takers. The change does not require California Supreme Court approval, Bloomberg Law reported. The bar stated that examinees impacted by the recalculation would be informed of their updated pass status during the first week of June 2025, based on a Friday email to test takers reviewed by Reuters. They have also offered test takers the option to retake portions of the exam in July. This change came after the California Supreme Court already allowed for "scoring remedial measures" to be put in place on May 2 which resulted in lowering the score needed to pass. What People Are Saying The State Bar of California said in a statement reviewed by Reuters: "The bar would never take any steps to detract from its public protection mission." State Bar of California Board Executive Brandon Stallings told the press in March: "We are deeply concerned about the issues and experiences reported by February bar exam test takers. We understand the anger and sense of urgency commenters expressed." What Happens Next The state bar has asked the California Supreme Court to extend a provisional licensure program created during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow unsuccessful February applicants to practice law while working under attorney supervision. The California Supreme Court has not ruled on this proposal as of publication.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
AI looms over Google case
The Big Story A federal judge on Friday grappled with the way artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the internet, as he weighed what penalties Google will ultimately face for illegally monopolizing search. © Jeff Chiu, Associated Press Google and the Department of Justice (DOJ) presented their closing arguments following a three-week hearing to determine the proper remedies, after the tech giant was found to have improperly maintained its search monopoly through a series of exclusive agreements. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta peppered both sides with questions over eight hours Friday, focusing heavily on what AI means for Google and the search market. The DOJ has argued that Google's dominance over search gives it a leg up in the AI race. It has pushed for more forward-looking remedies, including forcing the company to sell its Chrome browser. Google has contested this assertion, underscoring the competition it faces in the AI space from the likes of ChatGPT, Grok and DeepSeek. It has suggested a much more limited set of remedies that would bar the company from entering into the exclusive agreements the court deemed anticompetitive. Mehta appeared skeptical of Google's proposed remedies, noting that they 'could have all closed up shop' if he simply needed to issue an injunction blocking the company's exclusive agreements with device manufacturers and browsers. However, the judge didn't seem entirely convinced by the DOJ's wide-reaching proposal either, pushing the government to explain how AI fits into the search case. David Dahlquist, the government's lead attorney, dismissed Google's proposal Friday as 'milquetoast remedies that it knows will maintain the status quo.' He argued the remedies can go beyond the confines of the search market identified in the case to prevent Google from taking advantage of its existing market power, underscoring the way generative AI could drive more users to its search engine. 'We do not have to have complete blinders as to what's going on in the rest of the world and we should not,' Dahlquist said. Read more in a full report at Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, I'm Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: O'Leary: Musk just learned Washington 'an incredibly nasty place' 'Shark Tank' star Kevin O'Leary said Elon Musk learned Washington is 'an incredibly nasty place' after completing his tenure as a White House advisor. The tech CEO led operations for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency responsible for slashing federal spending and reducing the government's workforce. 'I learned a lesson that Elon just learned. No one goes to Washington and returns unscathed. It … FAA demanding investigation after SpaceX Starship breaks up in flight The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is asking SpaceX for an investigation into this week's Starship test flight that ended up spinning out of control and breaking apart. The FAA said the Starship's vehicle and booster debris landed within the designated hazard areas and there were no reports of injuries or damage to public property during Tuesday's flight. 'The mishap investigation is focused … Musk says 'this is not the end of DOGE,' vows to remain adviser to Trump Tech billionaire Elon Musk vowed the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would carry on and he would remain an adviser to President Trump as he bid farewell to his official government role. Musk joined Trump in the Oval Office for a press conference on Friday for what was his final day as a special government employee. That title carries a time limit of 130 days, meaning Musk will no longer serve in an official … The Refresh News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Crypto Corner SEC dismisses Binance case © AP Photo/Matt Slocum Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is dropping its case against crypto exchange Binance, as the agency continues to pull back on enforcement against the digital asset industry under President Trump. The SEC asked a judge Thursday to dismiss the case, which accused the company and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, of operating an unregistered exchange, artificially inflating its trading volume and misleading investors about its surveillance and controls. Binance has had a checkered history with U.S. regulators. Zhao spent four months in prison last year for violating anti-money laundering laws, and his company paid $4 billion to settle a case with the Justice Department in 2023. The exchange has found itself in the news once again in recent weeks, after a Trump family crypto venture announced that its new stablecoin would be used to complete a $2 billion transaction between an Emirati firm and Binance. Binance and the SEC initially asked the court to put the proceedings on hold in February, shortly after Trump took office and Republican commissioner Mark Uyeda took the reins of the agency as acting chair. The case was one of the final remaining Biden-era crypto lawsuits. Binance touted the decision to dismiss the case as a 'landmark moment.' 'We're deeply grateful to Chairman Paul Atkins and the Trump administration for recognizing that innovation can't thrive under regulation by enforcement,' a spokesperson said in a statement. 'The U.S. is back – leading from the front in the future of blockchain. What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: Musk appears in Oval Office with black eye Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk appeared in the Oval Office on Friday with a black eye, which he said was the result of his young son punching … Read more Ernst responds to jeers on Medicaid cuts: 'Well, we're all going to die' Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R) pushed back against constituents who shouted out at her recent town hall meeting that cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental … Read more What Others are Reading Opinion related to tech submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you next week!
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
More 'problems' for Google as company may be facing probe over another 'business deal'
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Google may have another problem in the US as the Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether the tech giant violated antitrust laws through its agreement with chatbot developer Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg Law reported that regulators are examining whether the arrangement was structured in a way that allowed Google to avoid formal government review typically required for mergers or acquisitions. The scrutiny centers on a 2023 deal in which founders joined Google, while the company received a non-exclusive license to use the startup's artificial intelligence technology. This AI company is known for chatbots that can mimic anyone or anything. Why deal is under lens Though deals like this are common in the tech industry and often seen as a way to acquire expertise without formal acquisition, regulators are increasingly wary. Authorities are concerned that large tech firms may be using such agreements to reduce competition from emerging startups without triggering regulatory oversight. What Google has to say A Google spokesperson, Peter Schottenfels, said in a statement that the company is cooperating with regulators. 'We're excited that talent from has joined the company, but we have no ownership stake and they remain a separate company,' he was quoted as saying. While the Justice Department has not accused Google of any wrongdoing, it retains the authority to investigate whether the deal is anticompetitive, even if it didn't require formal merger review, the report said. Previously, the DOJ has criticised Google's AI business deal with Samsung as well as Search deal with Apple under which the Alphabet-owned company paid the iPhone maker billions to make Google Search as default search engine on Safari.
Economic Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Google's unleashes 'AI Mode' in the next phase of its journey to change search
AP Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Google on Tuesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine that is changing the way people get information and curtailing the flow of internet traffic to websites. The next phase outlined at Google's annual developers conference includes releasing a new "AI mode" option in the United States. The feature makes interacting with Google's search engine more like having a conversation with an expert capable of answering questions on just about any topic imaginable. AI mode is being offered to all comers in the U.S. just two-and-a-half-months after the company began testing with a limited Labs division audience. Google is also feeding its latest AI model, Gemini 2.5, into its search algorithms and will soon begin testing other AI features, such as the ability to automatically buy concert tickets and conduct searches through live video feeds. In another example of Google's all-in approach to AI, the company revealed it is planning to leverage the technology to re-enter the smart glasses market with a new pair of Android XR-powered spectacles. The preview of the forthcoming device, which includes a hands-free camera and a voice-powered AI assistant, comes 13 years after the debut of "Google Glass," a product that the company scrapped after a public backlash over privacy concerns. Google didn't say when its Android XR glasses will be available or how much they will cost, but disclosed they will be designed in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. The glasses will compete against a similar product already on the market from Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Ray-Ban. AI's big role in Google search The expansion builds upon a transformation that Google began a year ago with the introduction of conversational summaries called "AI overviews" that have been increasingly appearing at the top of its results page and eclipsing its traditional rankings of web links. About 1.5 billion people now regularly engage with "AI overviews," according to Google, and most users are now entering longer and more complex queries. "What all this progress means is that we are in a new phase of the AI platform shift, where decades of research are now becoming reality for people all over the world," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said before a packed crowd in an amphitheater near the company's Mountain View, California, headquarters. AI ripples across the internet Although Pichai and other Google executives predicted AI overviews would trigger more searches and ultimately more clicks to other sites, it hasn't worked out that way so far, according to the findings of search optimization firm BrightEdge. Clickthrough rates from Google's search results have declined by nearly 30% during the past year, according to BrightEdge's recently released study, which attributed the decrease to people becoming increasingly satisfied with AI overviews. The decision to make AI mode broadly available after a relatively short test period reflects Google's confidence that the technology won't habitually spew misinformation that tarnishes its brand's reputation, and acknowledges the growing competition from other AI-powered search options from the likes of ChatGPT and Perplexity. Will AI undercut or empower Google? The rapid rise of AI alternatives emerged as a recurring theme in legal proceedings that could force Google to dismantle parts of its internet empire after a federal judge last year declared its search engine to be an illegal monopoly. In testimony during a trial earlier this month, longtime Apple executive Eddy Cue said Google searches done through the iPhone maker's Safari browser have been declining because more people are leaning on AI-powered alternatives. And Google has cited the upheaval being caused by AI's rise as one of the main reasons that it should only be required to make relatively minor changes to the way it operates its search engine because technology already is changing the competitive landscape. But Google's reliance on more AI so far appears to be enabling its search engine to maintain its mantle as the internet's main gateway - a position that's main reason its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., boasts a market value of $2 trillion. During the year ending in March, Google received 136 billion monthly visits, 34 times more than ChatGPT's average of 4 billion monthly visits, according to data compiled by Even Google's own AI mode acknowledged that the company's search engine seems unlikely to be significantly hurt by the shift to AI technology when a reporter from The Associated Press asked whether its introduction would make the company even more powerful. "Yes, it is highly likely that Google's AI mode will make Google more powerful, particularly in the realm of information access and online influence," the AI mode responded. The feature also warns that web publishers should be concerned about AI mode reducing the traffic they get from search results. Even more AI waiting in the wings Google's upcoming tests in its Labs division foreshadow the next wave of AI technology likely to be made available to the masses. Besides using its Project Mariner technology to test the ability of an AI agent to buy tickets and book restaurant reservations, Google will also experiment with searches done through live video and an opt-in option to give its AI technology access to people's Gmail and other Google apps so it can learn more about a user's tastes and habits. Other features on this summer's test list include a "Deep Search" option that will use AI to dig even deeper into complex topics and another tool that will produce graphical presentations of sports and finance data. Google is also introducing its equivalent of a VIP pass to all its AI technology with an "Ultra" subscription package that will cost $250 per month and include 30 terabytes of storage, too. That's a big step beyond Google's previous top-of-the-line package, which is now called "AI "Pro," that costs $20 per month and includes two terabytes of storage.
Japan Today
20-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Google's unleashes ‘A.I. Mode' in the next phase of its journey to change search
People pose for photos in front of an I/O logo at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) By MICHAEL LIEDTKE Google on Tuesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine that is changing the way people get information and curtailing the flow of internet traffic to websites. The next phase outlined at Google's annual developers conference includes releasing a new 'AI mode' option in the United States. The feature makes interacting with Google's search engine more like having a conversation with an expert capable of answering questions on just about any topic imaginable. AI mode is being offered to all comers in the U.S. just two-and-half-months after the company began testing with a limited Labs division audience. Google is also feeding its latest AI model Gemini 2.5, into its search algorithms and will soon begin testing other AI features, such as the ability to automatically buy tickets to concerts and conduct searches through live video feeds. The expansion builds upon a transformation that began a year ago with the introduction of conversational summaries called 'AI overviews' that have been increasingly appearing at the top of its results page and eclipsing its traditional rankings of web links. About 1.5 billion people now regularly engage with 'AI overviews,' according to Google, and most users are now entering longer and more complex queries. 'What all this progress means is that we are in a new phase of the AI platform shift, where decades of research are now becoming reality for people all over the world," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said before a packed crowd in an amphitheater near the company's Mountain View, California, headquarters. Although Pichai and other Google executives predicted AI overviews would trigger more searches and ultimately more clicks to other sites, it hasn't worked out that way so far, according to the findings of search optimization firm BrightEdge. Clickthrough rates from Google's search results have declined by nearly 30% during the past year, according to BrightEdge's recently released study, which attributed the decrease to people becoming increasingly satisfied with AI overviews. The decision to make AI mode broadly available after a relatively short test period reflects Google's confidence that the technology won't habitually spew misinformation that tarnishes its brand's reputation, and acknowledges the growing competition from other AI-powered search options from the likes of ChatGPT and Perplexity. The rapid rise of AI alternatives emerged as a recurring theme in legal proceedings that could force Google to dismantle parts of its internet empire after a federal judge last year declared its search engine to be an illegal monopoly. In testimony during a trial earlier this month, longtime Apple executive Eddy Cue said Google searches done through the iPhone maker's Safari browser have been declining because more people are leaning on AI-powered alternatives. And Google has cited the upheaval being caused by AI's rise as one of the main reasons that it should only be required to make relatively minor changes to the way it operates its search engine because technology already is changing the competitive landscape. But Google's reliance on more AI so far appears to be enabling its search engine to maintain its mantle as the internet's main gateway — a position that's main reason its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., boasts a market value of $2 trillion. During the year ending in March, Google received 136 billion monthly visits, 34 times more than ChatGPT average of 4 billion monthly visits, according to data compiled by Even Google's own AI mode acknowledged that the company's search engine seems unlikely to be significantly hurt by the shift to AI technology when a reporter from The Associated Press asked whether its introduction would make the company even more powerful. 'Yes, it is highly likely that Google's AI mode will make Google more powerful, particularly in the realm of information access and online influence,' the AI mode responded. The feature also warns web publishers should be concerned about AI mode reducing the traffic that they get from search results. Google's upcoming tests in its Labs division foreshadow the next wave of AI technology likely to be made available to the masses. Besides using its Project Mariner technology to test the ability of an AI agent to buy tickets and book restaurant reservations, Google will also experiment with searches done through live video and an opt-in option to give its AI technology access to people's Gmail so it can learn more about a user's tastes and interests. Other features on this summer's test list include a 'Deep Search' option that will use AI to dig even deeper into complex topics and another tool that will produce graphical presentations of sports and finance data. Google is also introducing its equivalent of VIP access to all its AI technology with an 'Ultra' subscription package that will cost $250 per month and include 30 terabytes of storage, too. That's a big step beyond Google's previous top-of-the-line AI 'pro' package that cost $20 per month and included two terabytes of storage. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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