Search changed forever, AI Interviewer, Animal language decoder and more!

Google recently announced updates to its AI-powered search, Maps and Translate services. The updates include a multisearch tool that allows users to search using an image along with text, an immersive view in Google Maps, and EV-friendly features for electric vehicle drivers. Other updates include the ability to search using words or images on Android without leaving the app and AR features in Google Lens. Google Translate will also show additional context for words or phrases. Some of these features are available now, while others will be released in the coming weeks and months.

Microsoft is using artificial intelligence to update its Bing search engine and Edge web browser. The company is working with OpenAI to create an intelligent chatbot to accompany search results and perform tasks such as summarizing web pages, synthesizing sources and composing emails. The chatbot will be powered by OpenAI's Prometheus model, which is informed by real-time web data from Bing. The search engine is in a limited preview stage for desktop computers and will be available for mobile devices soon. Microsoft is hoping to gain a bigger share of the search market and is looking to market OpenAI's technology to its cloud customers, not just its search engine.

Meta, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, launched a chatbot named Galactica in November which could write articles, solve maths problems and generate computer code, among other things. However, Galactica was removed from the internet after just three days due to numerous complaints about the chatbot's inaccuracies and misinterpretations of information. The company's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, has blamed Meta's size and reputation for spreading misinformation for the bot's failure, compared to the success of smaller, more nimble companies like OpenAI, which made the popular chatbot ChatGPT. Despite this, Meta is focusing on fast-tracking AI-driven products to market and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is deeply involved in this effort.

The field of "digital bioacoustics" is exploring how species communicate with each other, and how AI and advanced sensors can help decode these conversations. The field has come a long way from the controversial attempts in the mid-20th century to teach human language to non-human primates like Koko. Today, researchers are interested in how animals communicate complex information on their own terms, and the science is advancing rapidly with the use of small, portable digital recorders and AI. For example, researchers have used voice recognition software to analyze the sounds of bats and have discovered that bats have much more complex language than previously understood. The combination of digital technology and ancient practices of "deep listening" may bring us to the brink of interspecies communication.

Many HR processes have moved online due to the pandemic, and some are here to stay, such as virtual or pre-recorded job interviews, which are increasingly guided by AI. This shift has changed the experience of job seekers and can be unsettling, as they may face a bot at their first interview. This article provides advice on how to prepare for AI-led interviews, which consist of answering predefined questions from a bot. The interview is recorded and the bot uses data collected from the candidate's facial expressions, vocabulary, tone of voice, etc. to generate a prediction about their suitability for the role. AI-led interviews may suffer from poor validity, but it is important for candidates to understand that the technology is not perfect and to take practical steps to make a good first impression.