Google has addressed claims made by Elon Musk that it censored searches about Donald Trump. Musk had tweeted, without evidence, that Google imposed a “search ban” on Trump, prompting significant public interest.
Google’s clarification revealed that the issue was due to bugs in its autocomplete feature, not intentional censorship. Musk’s tweet, which reached over 118 million views, necessitated a public explanation from Google about how its autocomplete functionality works.
Google specified that the unusual autocomplete suggestions when searching for “president donald” were the result of a bug that affected various political figures across the spectrum, including former President Barack Obama.
This broad impact suggested the issue was non-partisan and purely technical in nature. Google’s response aimed to dispel the notion that there was any intentional bias in its search algorithms.
In related news, Perplexity AI has announced plans to integrate advertisements into its search engine and share revenue with publishers. This move follows criticism from major media outlets accusing Perplexity of scraping content without permission.
The new Perplexity Publishers’ Program is set to launch by the end of September, aiming to provide a more ethical and profitable model for content usage.
Separately, Samsung is expanding a pilot program that uses its Galaxy Z Flip phones as bodycams for police departments. Initially tested in Missouri, the program will now be extended to 25 metro police departments across five states.
The foldable phones, modified in partnership with Visual Labs, are intended to enhance police operations by serving as both body and dash cameras, marking a novel use of consumer technology in law enforcement.
In another technological development, Italian researchers have created a robot dog named VERO designed to clean up litter from beaches. Equipped with AI and leg-mounted vacuums, VERO targets cigarette butts, which are particularly harmful to the environment.
The robot demonstrated a 90% success rate in picking up cigarette butts during tests, highlighting its potential to mitigate pollution in difficult-to-reach areas.
