Sierra Says Conversational AI Will Kill Apps and Websites

I might have inadvertently insulted Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor when I interviewed them about their new AI startup last week. Their new company, Sierra, is developing AI-powered agents to “elevate the customer experience” for big companies. Among its original customers are WeightWatchers, Sonos, SiriusXM, and OluKai (a “Hawaiian-inspired” clothing company). Sierra’s eventual market is … Read more

ChatGPT vs. Gemini: Which AI Chatbot Subscription Is Right for You?

The problem with testing AI chatbot subscriptions like Google’s Gemini Advanced and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus is their generality. The same tool is used for disparate applications; the same software service that developers in San Francisco are using to build their latest app might also be used by parents in Kansas to plan a Paw Patrol … Read more

Generative AI is shaking up online dating, with flirty chatbots

Vertigo3d | E+ | Getty Images Not so long ago, drafting a text message to your crush may have involved witty cues from a glossy magazine and the input of everyone in your group chat. As of Valentine’s Day 2024, the world of online romance looks very different. An increasing number of people are using … Read more

‘AI Girlfriends’ Are a Privacy Nightmare

You shouldn’t trust any answers a chatbot sends you. And you probably shouldn’t trust it with your personal information either. That’s especially true for “AI girlfriends” or “AI boyfriends,” according to new research. An analysis into 11 so-called romance and companion chatbots, published on Wednesday by the Mozilla Foundation, has found a litany of security … Read more

Your AI Girlfriend Is a Data-Harvesting Horror Show

Lonely on Valentine’s Day? AI can help. At least, that’s what a number of companies hawking “romantic” chatbots will tell you. But as your robot love story unfolds, there’s a tradeoff you may not realize you’re making. According to a new study from Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included project, AI girlfriends and boyfriends harvest shockingly personal … Read more

7 ways AI chatbots can help you crush Valentine’s Day

Getty Images/Tatiana Lavrova AI chatbots are all the rage because of their impressive ability to excel at technical tasks such as coding, writing, and more. However, did you know they can help you plan the perfect Valentine’s Day? In addition to technical tasks, AI chatbots can help with tasks that may seem simple but require … Read more

Google’s and Microsoft’s chatbots are making up Super Bowl stats

If you needed more evidence that GenAI is prone to making stuff up, Google’s Gemini chatbot, formerly Bard, thinks that the 2024 Super Bowl already happened. It even has the (fictional) statistics to back it up. Per a Reddit thread, Gemini, powered by Google’s GenAI models of the same name, is answering questions about Super … Read more

How to Get Gemini Advanced, Google’s Subscription-Only AI Chatbot

Google just upgraded its AI chatbot. Access to the new Gemini Advanced chatbot is available right now through a monthly subscription to Google One, the company’s cloud backup service. With today’s release, there’s a new tier of Google One service called the AI Premium plan, which costs $20 per month; subscribe and you’ll get the … Read more

Google Prepares for a Future Where Search Isn’t King

Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai still loves the web. He wakes up every morning and reads Techmeme, a news aggregator resplendent with links, accessible only via the web. The web is dynamic and resilient, he says, and can still—with help from a search engine—provide whatever information a person is looking for. Yet the web and its … Read more