Can Google Search Be Disrupted?

🗞️ The Tech Issue | January 9, 2024

Author

Qamar Zia
January 09, 2024

☕️ Greetings, and welcome to my daily dive into the Generative AI landscape.

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In today’s issue:

  • OpenAI is Slowly Turning into a Healthcare Company  

  • Deloitte introduces PairD AI chatbot for its workforce

  • McAfee unveils AI-powered deepfake audio detection

  • Apple Has AI Plans, Without the Marketing Noise

  • And more

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Could a Tiny AI Startup Disrupt Google Search?

Perplexity, an emerging startup, is drawing significant attention in the web search industry, challenging Google's supremacy with its AI-driven "answer machine". Supported by Jeff Bezos and venture capitalists, and valued at $520 million, Perplexity offers direct answers rather than just links, gaining traction especially among tech workers. Despite its growing user base and innovative approach, Perplexity faces the immense challenge of competing with Google's vast resources and market dominance.

Key Points:

  • Innovative Search Approach: Utilizes advancements in AI to provide direct answers to queries.

  • Notable Support and Investment: Backed by Jeff Bezos and venture capitalists with a $74 million investment.

  • Growing User Base: Monthly users reached 10 million, with significant growth in website visits.

  • Market Challenges: Competes in a market dominated by Google, with a history of failed attempts by others.

  • Business Model: Offers a premium service using GPT-4, generating revenue through subscriptions and software sales.

  • Future Prospects: Focuses on expanding user base and studying search patterns, with potential for advertising and cost reduction.

📰 Latest From The Web

How AI will affect the future of search: AI is reshaping SEO by prioritizing user intent and semantic understanding over traditional keyword strategies, necessitating a blend of human creativity and AI efficiency. This new era demands SEO tactics that integrate AI's predictive capabilities with human insight, focusing on crafting content that is both engaging and algorithm-friendly. Read more at searchengineland.com.

How Amazon Fashion is using AI to help you find the perfect fit: Amazon is revolutionizing online fashion shopping with four AI-driven features: personalized size recommendations, review highlights, reimagined size charts, and fit insights. These tools utilize advanced algorithms and machine learning to analyze a vast array of data, including customer preferences, brand sizing, and product reviews, enabling customers to find their perfect fit without the hassle of traditional online shopping. Additionally, these innovations benefit brands by providing valuable insights into customer preferences and sizing issues, aiding in reducing returns and improving product listings. Read more at aboutamazon.com.

4 ways public-private partnerships can bridge the AI opportunity gap: In the face of generative AI's (genAI) transformative impact on jobs, public and private partnerships are pivotal for reskilling a billion people for an AI-driven world. Upskilling the workforce through structured learning pathways, leveraging AI for personalized learning, and bridging the skills gap are key strategies. The initiatives include providing reskilling pathways, mitigating misinformation and bias through trusted education, and creating personalized learning experiences. These efforts aim to harness genAI's potential for enhancing productivity, ensuring equitable access to new opportunities, and preparing the global workforce for an evolving digital economy. Read more at: weforum.org.

Apple Has AI Plans, Without the Marketing Noise: The AI industry is booming, with major players like OpenAI and Apple striking deals with media companies for content to train AI models. OpenAI's partnerships for licensed content and Apple's discreet advancements in AI, including local language models and 3D avatar technology, indicate a growing fusion of AI and media, with potential upgrades to consumer tech like Siri. Read more at analyticsindiamag.com.

How do we make money with generative AI?: Generative AI is increasingly recognized for its potential to enhance business efficiency and growth. The challenge lies in identifying profitable applications and overcoming operational complexities. Success requires strategic innovation and technical expertise, as companies transition from traditional machine learning to the novel realm of generative AI. Read more at infoworld.com.

McAfee unveils AI-powered deepfake audio detection: McAfee introduces Project Mockingbird at CES 2024, an innovative AI-based technology designed to detect deepfake audio, addressing the growing threat of AI-generated scams and misinformation. This tool, achieving 90% accuracy, is a response to increasing consumer difficulty in distinguishing real from manipulated content, as underscored by a McAfee survey revealing widespread deepfake concerns. Project Mockingbird not only combats fraudulent schemes but also empowers users to navigate digital spaces securely, especially critical in election years where deepfake technology could significantly impact public perception and trust. Read more at artificialintelligence-news.com.

📈 Trends

A prominent Analytics Cloud Platform company Alteryx, has unveiled its prognostications regarding the future of artificial intelligence (AI). These forecasts signify a grasp of the dynamic business environment and the transformative influence wielded by data-centric AI technologies:

  1. Generative AI Redefining Competition: Businesses adopt generative AI to predict performance and gain market share.

  2. Robust AI Governance: Frameworks emerge to address data privacy and trust issues in AI adoption.

  3. Reshoring & Upskilling: Automation prompts companies to bring work back home, emphasizing data-related skills.

  4. ESG Focus for Finance: CFOs lead ESG initiatives, leveraging data analytics for sustainability alignment.

  5. Multi-Modal Analytics: Intuitive interfaces foster collaboration in data analysis.

  6. Cloud-Smart AI: A hybrid approach emerges for AI due to increased data processing demands.

  7. Datafication of Everything: Generative AI unlocks insights from unstructured data sources.

🗞️ COMPANIES

🏢 OpenAI

OpenAI's partnership with WHOOP introduces GPT-4 in personalized fitness coaching, while its collaboration with Summer Health enhances pediatric care through efficient visit note generation. GPT-4's advancements extend to radiology, potentially surpassing expert radiologists, and aid visually impaired individuals via the Be My Eyes app. ChatGPT's exploration as a mental wellness tool is noteworthy. Competitors like Google and Apple are advancing in healthcare AI with MedLM and health-detective features in watches, respectively. Additionally, Oracle and Isomorphic Labs' AI applications in healthcare suggest a growing trend in this sector.

🗞️ IMPACT

  • 2024 sees a surge in AI discussions and trends, demanding a balanced perspective amid the hype.

  • Martech experiences explosive growth with 2,000 new tools in six months, mainly driven by generative AI startups.

  • Agencies invest in bespoke AI solutions, combining foundational AI models with creative insights.

  • Specialized AI models emerge, catering to industries like healthcare, retail, finance, and manufacturing.

  • AI adoption in the workforce is on the rise, emphasizing trust-building and augmented roles.

  • Every internet text box adopts Language Model Models (LLMs) for improved user interactions.

  • AI transforms the post-cookie world, enhancing contextual targeting and campaign measurement.

  • AI's influence on UI is revolutionizing how technology is interacted with.

  • True disruption comes through AI, reshaping core work processes.

  • Conversational interfaces powered by LLMs bridge the gap between humans and machines.

  • AI-driven improvements streamline product searches and boost customer satisfaction.

  • Generative search may reduce traffic to long-tail publishers' sites, impacting content creation.

  • Amid AI discussions, focusing on marketing fundamentals remains essential.

  • The 'Head of AI' role grows in prominence within companies.

  • Flattening the hype curve and guiding realistic AI adoption are crucial.

  • Data strategy must break down silos while maintaining data governance and provenance.

  • Employers become educators as AI transforms industries, requiring workforce development.

  • Balancing enthusiasm and critical evaluation is key to harnessing AI's potential in 2024.

💼 Workforce

Deloitte, a leading 'Big Four' company, has introduced PairD, an internal generative AI chatbot, to enhance workplace efficiencies for its 75,000 employees in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. Developed by Deloitte's AI Institute, PairD assists with tasks like content creation, coding, and research. This move aligns with Deloitte's commitment to leverage AI's potential, bridging the digital divide, and promoting social equality through AI accessibility. However, there are cautions regarding potential inaccuracies in its output. Deloitte plans to extend AI access to disability equality charity Scope, aiming to help those who are digitally non-native and disabled access AI tools and knowledge. This aligns with Deloitte's broader initiatives, including donating laptops and supporting charities in scaling their digital impact to address digital skills gaps. Richard Houston, CEO of Deloitte UK and Deloitte NSE, emphasizes the importance of accessible AI and promoting social equality.

📚 LEARNING

🔬 Research

On the Prospects of Incorporating Large Language Models (LLMs) in Automated Planning and Scheduling (APS). (arXiv:2401.02500v1 [cs.AI]): Automated Planning and Scheduling is among the growing areas in Artificial Intelligence (AI) where mention of LLMs has gained popularity. Based on a comprehensive review of 126 papers, this paper investigates eight categories based on the unique applications of LLMs in addressing various aspects of planning problems: language translation, plan generation, model construction, multi-agent planning, interactive planning, heuristics optimization, tool integration, and brain-inspired planning. Read more at arxiv.org.

📺 Video Tutorial

Image Credit: Thu Vu data analytics

📚 TOOLING

🧬 Frameworks

Generative AI Advancing Bug-Free Software: A New Era in Software Development: The quest for bug-free software is being advanced by generative AI, transforming software verification and validation. The "Baldur" method, blending generative AI with formal methods, has significantly increased the efficacy of software verification, while AI-generated proofs offer a more thorough examination of software code, identifying subtle issues. This integration of AI in software development, from tools like CodeAI and DeepCode to AI-driven bug triaging, is not only enhancing software quality but also bringing the once elusive goal of bug-free software closer to reality. Read more at www.msn.com.

🧠 THOUGHTS

💬 Opinion

Generative AI adoption requires prioritizing data quality and governance. Marinela Profi compares data to food, emphasizing its impact on AI performance. Neglecting data quality hampers generative AI's potential, while strong data management confers a competitive edge. Mayank Jindal underscores the importance of quality data for reliable AI outcomes. Simplified solutions can lead to rushed decisions without data understanding, warns Peter Marx. Generative AI's growth demands high-quality datasets and integration across domains. Proactive commitment, ongoing monitoring, and domain-specific models are crucial. Organizations must build data quality and governance programs for generative AI, integrating IT, risk, and data functions.

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