Tech News With Brian Pate
Apple picks Google’s Gemini for a new Siri
Apple and Google announced a multiyear AI partnership that will use Google’s Gemini models and cloud tech to support Apple Foundation Models and a more personal Siri upgrade expected later this year. Apple said its AI will keep running on devices and its Private Cloud Compute system, with a focus on privacy.
Google’s AI shopping checkout raises new questions for retailers
Google’s AI Mode checkout, tied to its Universal Commerce Protocol, aims to cut steps in buying online. Some retailers worry that if checkout happens on Google, they may lose brand control, cross-sell chances, and insight into what shoppers did before buying.
Google also pushed back on claims that AI Mode checkout could lead to higher prices for different people. Google said merchants cannot show higher prices on Google than on their own sites, and that “Direct Offers” can only lower prices or add perks like free shipping.
ChatGPT will test ads in the United States
OpenAI said it will begin testing ads for ChatGPT Free and ChatGPT Go users in the U.S. Ads are set to appear below answers, stay clearly labeled, and not change what the assistant says. OpenAI also said it will not use conversation data for ad targeting.
Open AI is also rolling out their “Go Tier” for $8 monthly that provides users with more bandwidth than the free version without the price of the Pro version.
Publishers expect big search traffic drops as AI answers grow
A Reuters Institute survey of 280 senior media leaders across 51 countries found many publishers expect search traffic to drop by more than 40% over the next three years as AI answer tools expand. Leaders said they plan to invest more in original reporting and analysis, and put more effort into video and off-platform distribution.
Google health AI answers cite YouTube a lot
A study of German health searches found Google AI Overviews showed up on more than 82% of the queries studied, and YouTube was the most-cited domain in the AI Overview sources. The report also raised concerns about how often AI health answers rely on sources that are not built to ensure medical accuracy.
WordPress security issues to watch this week
Two WordPress-related security stories stood out:
- A membership plugin flaw could expose sensitive Stripe SetupIntent data, including client_secret values. The issue affects versions up to 3.2.16, and a fix is available in 3.2.17.
- A vulnerability in the All in One SEO plugin involved a missing permission check that could let users with Contributor access view a site’s global AI access token. The article notes risks like unauthorized AI usage and draining AI credits.
Quick takeaways for teams
- Plan for more “answers first” platforms. Referrals may keep shrinking.
- If you sell online, decide what you gain and lose when checkout moves off your site.
- If you run WordPress, update plugins fast and review user roles and access.