Google has released a trio of new, “open” generative AI models that it’s calling “safer,” “smaller” and “more transparent” than most — a bold claim, to be sure. They’re additions to Google’s Gemma 2 family of generative models, which debuted back in May. The new models, Gemma 2 2B, ShieldGemma and Gemma Scope, are designed […]
Google releases new ‘open’ AI models with a focus on safety Read More »
Look, we’ve all been there. You’re on a road trip and you pull off the highway for some food or fuel. And then Google Maps starts (rudely) yelling at you to get back on the road. The company has all the money and AI chips in the world and yet the app can’t just chill
Google Maps announces new features and somehow none of them are ‘pause navigation’ Read More »
Google had good news and bad news last week. The good news was that the cloud division — including Google Workplace software as a service and Google Cloud infrastructure services — made $10 billion for the quarter for the first time. That had to take the sting out of losing out on its second potential
It took some serious nerve for Wiz to walk away from Google’s $23B offer Read More »
OpenAI is testing SearchGPT, a new AI search experience to compete directly with Google. The feature aims to elevate search queries with “timely answers” from across the internet and allows the user to ask follow-up questions. The temporary prototype is currently only available to a small group of users and its publisher partners for testing
OpenAI comes for Google with SearchGPT Read More »
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. To get Startups Weekly in your inbox every Friday, sign up here. This week we are talking about Wiz’s bold decision, VC’s public feud, legal tech’s new capital and a16z’s close call. Let’s go! Most interesting startup stories
Legal tech, VC brawls and saying no to big offers Read More »
In its bid to maintain pace with generative AI rivals like Anthropic and OpenAI, Google is rolling out updates to the no-fee tier of Gemini, its AI-powered chatbot. The updates are focused on making the platform more performant — and more widely available. Starting Thursday, Gemini 1.5 Flash — a lightweight multimodal model Google announced
Google makes its Gemini chatbot faster and more widely available Read More »
Google Maps is rolling out new features in India using AI to help drivers navigate easily through flyovers and narrow roads in the world’s most populous country, with enormous roads with obstructions and several flyovers to deal with traffic congestion. On Thursday, Google announced that it had built an AI model specifically for Indian roads
Google Maps adds features to improve navigating flyovers and narrow roads in India Read More »
Alongside a slew of announcements for Play—such as AI-powered app comparisons and a feature that bundles similar apps—Google has introduced new “Curated Spaces,” hubs dedicated to specific topics. Announced Wednesday, “Comics,” is designed to appeal to manga fans. Positioned at the top of the screen in between “For You” and “Top Charts,” the new hub
Google Play gets ‘Comics’ feature for manga readers in Japan Read More »
Google’s incubator subsidiary Jigsaw has open-sourced a counterterrorism tool designed to help smaller companies address extremist content shared through their online platforms. While most of the big tech companies including Meta, X and Google itself are well-versed in moderating content to weed out illegal or toxic content, the resources required to do this are beyond
Google’s next big hardware event is set for August 13 at 10 a.m. PT. That’s roughly a two-month head start for the Made By Google event, which has traditionally occurred mid-fall. It also, notably, will find the company announcing its latest flagship, the Pixel 9, ahead of the iPhone 16. Apple’s latest is set for
