Google recently addressed accusations of “censorship” in its search results related to Donald Trump, following a baseless claim by Elon Musk that the company had imposed a “search ban” on the former president.
Google clarified that the issue stemmed from bugs in its autocomplete feature, affecting not only searches for Trump but also for former President Barack Obama and other political figures. This public clarification was necessitated by Musk’s tweet, which garnered over 118 million views and forced Google to explain one of its core functionalities.
Google’s explanation highlighted that the peculiar autocomplete suggestions were a result of a bug that impacted searches across the political spectrum. The company assured users that these glitches were not intentional and affected a variety of political figures, demonstrating the non-partisan nature of the issue.
This response aimed to dispel any misconceptions about political bias or censorship within Google’s search algorithms.
Donald Trump
In other news, the Senate recently passed two significant bills aimed at protecting minors online, marking a milestone in digital safety legislation. Additionally, there are ongoing discussions about various tech products, including a review of the best soundbars for 2024 and a preview of the upcoming game Star Wars Outlaws.
These topics reflect the diverse range of interests and innovations in the tech industry, highlighting both legislative progress and consumer technology trends.
Perplexity, an AI search engine, announced plans to incorporate ads and share revenue with publishers through its Perplexity Publishers’ Program, set to launch by the end of September. This initiative follows criticism from major publishers like Forbes and Wired, who accused Perplexity of scraping content without permission.
By sharing revenue, Perplexity aims to address these concerns and foster better relationships with content creators, emphasizing the importance of ethical content use in the AI industry.
Samsung is expanding a pilot program that uses its Galaxy Z Flip phones as police bodycams to 25 metro police departments across five states. Initially tested in Kimberling City and Indian Point, Missouri, the foldable devices were adapted for law enforcement use in collaboration with Visual Labs.
This innovative use of technology aims to enhance daily police operations, showcasing the potential of mobile devices to serve as versatile tools in various professional fields.
In Italy, scientists have developed a quadruped robot named VERO, equipped with AI and vacuums to clean up litter, particularly cigarette butts, from beaches. Published in the Journal of Field Robotics, the study highlights VERO’s ability to pick up 90 percent of identified cigarette butts, addressing a significant environmental issue.
This robot represents a step forward in using robotics for environmental cleanup, tackling waste that is difficult for traditional methods to reach.
