What Did Google Do This Week? - 12-05-24 [+65 LINKS]

May 12, 2024

Google is busy preparing for their annual Google I/O week, but OpenAI scheduled a seismic announcement for the day before I/O on Friday…

This issue of WDGDTW is free thanks to…

eight&four is delivering GenAI consultancy to marketers at Hyundai, Kingfisher and British Heart Foundation. Contact us to talk about integrating GenAI into your marketing workflows – from social media asset generation to AI personas.

Find out more here.

IS OPENAI ABOUT TO P*SS ON GOOGLE LEG AND TELL GOOGLE IT’S RAINING?

Google had a very busy week, but it’s next week everyone is interested in as it’s Google I/O - Google’s annual Developer conference. What to expect this year? A whole lot of AI announcements, Android updates, minimal hardware launches (if any), and likely some futuristic tech they're tinkering with behind closed doors (for a ‘we’ve still got it’ moment or two). The keynote (or should we say Google Slides) starts 10 a.m. PT, May 14th.

But there’s a problem. OpenAI has quickly (literally on Friday) scheduled a livestream of its’ own the day before (yes, Monday). The jury is out whether it’s a direct search competitor (you should check out this week’s ‘What Did OpenAI Do This Week?’ for all the details, but it’ll be big as the timing is just too suspect.

Microsoft-backed OpenAI has been a thorn in Google’s side in the AI conversation for a while, and it now looks like they're ready to give Google more headaches, and this time their sights are aimed on search, but how and what are the key here. Subscribe to ‘What Did OpenAI Do This Week?’ now to get the analysis of what it means for you now.

SO WHAT?

Google are facing some serious heat from a lot of sides. While their house isn’t burning there are a lot of hotspots forming. The massive antitrust trial looming over the horizon (with verdict expected soon), competition from the likes of OpenAI and Perplexity, internal issues like firings over Israel protests causing unrest among the ranks. While the company is in celebratory mood during I/O week, there are rocky months (and years) ahead at Google HQ.

OpenAI won’t upend Google overnight, but they’re the first big threat to the ecosystem that isn’t governments and organisations ordering Alphabet (Google’s parent company) be splintered. That’s what happens when you have smart cookies, a pervasive tech and oodles of Microsoft money and computing power. Disruption in a bottle. How Google responds is key and this is why this Google I/O is pretty critical to get right. While it’s no small task to disrupt Google’s dominance when it comes to search (still +90%), completely side-stepping Google could be a huge problem for the paid link pushers.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he plans to invest in AI for years to come. /Bloomberg

Google DeepMind released a new version of AI biology research tool AlphaFold. /FT

Google DeepMind CEO said AI biology research could soon be a $100 billion business. /Bloomberg

More Google employees have been poached by OpenAI to work on ChatGPT. /Verge

Google hit back at “vastly over ambitious” antitrust lawsuit. /GCR

Google clashed with South Carolina over antitrust issues. /Reuters

Google employees voiced a range of concerns to the CEO. /HRGrapeVine

Google settled a consumer privacy lawsuit for $62 million. /Reuters

Google got one step closer to buying software provider HubSpot. /Bloomberg

Google urged UK courts to ditch their $17 billion adtech lawsuit. /Reuters

Google Search’s supposed drop in market share in April was an anomaly, apparently. /Register

Google’s SearchLiason rolled out its site reputation abuse update. /Spiceworks

Google announced a new analytics tool for data comparisons. /SEJ

Google defended its secret Search updates. /SEJ

Google announced it will ban deepfake porn ads. /Verge

Google launched the Pixel 8a. /Wired

Google’s Pixel 8a specs were revealed in a leak. /Android Police

Google relaunched the Pixel tablet, offering it free to anyone who trades in an iPad. /Android Police

Google rolled out a variation of ‘circle to search’ for iPhones. /TechCrunch

Google Cloud launched cybersecurity tool Google Threat Intelligence. /CRN

Google updated its core algorithms for the first time this year. /PressGazette

Google rolled out a Google Maps redesign on some Androids. /TechRadar

Google rolled out a hefty new spam update. /HelloPartner

Google streamlined its two-factor authentication. /AndroidAuthority

Google fixed bluetooth and camera issues in its latest Android update. /AndroidPolice

Android’s Google app added a ‘share’ button for search queries. /AndroidCentral

Google announced a range of AI innovations across the Google Cloud Security portfolio. /Google Cloud Blog

Google launched Chrome Enterprise Premium. /Google Cloud Blog

Google rolled out ‘Find My Device’ in the UK. /TechRadar

Google launched Google Wallet in India. /Android Authority

Google used AI to generate six revealing images of the human brain. /Google Blog

Google announced Google Search results with no Search Generative Experience recently rose to 65% - more expected at Google I/O. /Search Engine Land

Google said passkeys could be used to help secure elections. /TechRadar

Google defined the term ‘content decay’ in a recent podcast episode. /SEJ

Google’s former CEO said the future of AI search will be about info, not links. /SEJ

‘Rare issues at Google Cloud’ caused a week long outage at an Australian pension fund. /DataCenterDynamics

Google DeepMind’s CEO said AI is underestimated in the long term. /Bloomberg

Google got an injunction to remove a Hong Kong protest song from search. /Bloomberg

Google announced some advances in translation AI. /Google Cloud Blog

Google Search may have a rival if OpenAI search engine becomes a reality. /Reuters

Google once sold google.com to an employee for $12 by mistake. /Yahoo

Microsoft is training a new in-house AI to rival Google Gemini and co. /The Information

Microsoft announced their own mobile game web store that will launch in July. /Bloomberg

A Silicon Valley investor said half of Google employees don’t do any real work. /HRGrapevine

A former Twitter exec revealed that Google built early Android apps itself. /TechCrunch

50% OF BOSSES WORRY YOU DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT AI.
Get ahead with ‘What Did OpenAI Do This Week?’, the weekly deep dive on the future of AI and what actually matters. We’re not for suckers, we don’t teach you how to prompt; we teach you how to stay ahead and on top. Pay monthly ($15) or annual ($99). Cancel anytime. Trusted by senior execs at Apple, Google, Bloomberg, Pepsi, Samsung and +40% of the F500.
Someone sent this to you and you want your own copy? We thought you looked smart. Come on in, the water’s usually choppy(!).

50% OF BOSSES WORRY YOU DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT AIYou need ‘What Did OpenAI Do This Week?’, the weekly deep dive on the future of AI and what actually matters. We’re not for suckers, we don’t teach you how to prompt; we teach you how to stay ahead and on top. 

Pay monthly ($15) or annual ($99). Cancel anytime. Trusted by senior execs at Apple, Google, Bloomberg, Pepsi, Samsung and +40% of the F500.

Someone sent this to you and you want your own copy? We thought you looked smart. Come on in, the water’s usually choppy(!).