Google has introduced Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental, an AI model designed for advanced reasoning, now available on its AI Studio platform. Billed as effective for multimodal understanding, coding, and complex problem-solving, it aims to enhance AI’s reasoning capabilities.
Unlike typical AI, reasoning models like Gemini fact-check themselves during response generation, improving accuracy but requiring more processing time. However, early testing shows mixed results, suggesting room for refinement in practical applications.
The rise of reasoning models reflects the industry’s search for new methods to optimise AI performance. While promising, challenges such as high computational costs and uncertain scalability remain points of debate.
A Google Street View image helped authorities in Spain in a missing person investigation. The image showed a person moving a large object into a car and another transporting a white bundle in a wheelbarrow. Authorities later located human remains in a cemetery in Soria province using advanced techniques.
Though Google Maps was involved, police clarified the image was not pivotal in solving the case of a 33-year-old man who disappeared in Tajueco. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the crime.
Google Maps has previously assisted law enforcement, including locating an Italian fugitive in 2022.
Google has proposed changes to its agreements with companies like Apple to address a US antitrust ruling against its dominance in online search. The tech giant suggested making its distribution deals non-exclusive and allowing annual reviews for developers who set Google as the default search engine.
The company urged caution against drastic measures such as selling its Chrome browser or unbundling Android features, arguing that such remedies could stifle innovation in a rapidly evolving AI landscape. Judge Amit Mehta previously found Google’s agreements gave it an unfair advantage, particularly through deals requiring Android manufacturers to pre-install Google search to access its Play Store.
Revenue-sharing deals, which are vital to smaller developers like Mozilla, would remain under Google’s plan. Critics, including DuckDuckGo, argue the proposal fails to restore competition and largely maintains the status quo. Apple reportedly earned $20 billion from its agreement with Google in 2022, underlining the financial stakes of these deals.
An April trial will determine if broader remedies are necessary to boost innovation and competition in search and artificial intelligence. The US Department of Justice, along with several states, is seeking measures to curb Google’s dominance, including restrictions on its payments for default search placement and licensing of its search technology to rivals.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, Japan’s competition watchdog, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), is expected to find Google guilty of violating the country’s antitrust laws. The JFTC is reportedly preparing to issue a cease-and-desist order, directing Google to halt its monopolistic practices. The investigation, which began last October, focuses on Google’s dominance in web search services.
Google has yet to comment on the allegations, and the JFTC has also not responded to requests for a statement. This investigation follows similar antitrust actions in Europe and other major economies, where concerns have been raised about Google’s market power. The company’s Chrome browser, which is the most widely used globally, plays a central role in its advertising business by providing valuable user data.
This development comes amid increasing scrutiny of Google’s practices. In the US, the Department of Justice has argued that Google should be forced to divest Chrome and be banned from re-entering the browser market for five years as part of efforts to address its search engine monopoly.
Major firms including Google, Stripe, and Shopify have pledged $80 million to support innovative carbon capture technologies, targeting emissions from paper mills and sewage plants in the US. This investment is part of the Frontier coalition’s strategy to develop cost-effective solutions for reducing atmospheric carbon.
Two start-ups, CO280 and CREW, will benefit from the funding. CO280 plans to deploy carbon capture technology adapted from the oil industry to trap emissions from paper mills. Meanwhile, CREW will enhance wastewater treatment processes with limestone to absorb carbon dioxide, leveraging rocks’ natural CO2-attracting properties.
The coalition’s aim is to drive down the cost of carbon removal to $100 per metric ton in the US, a significant reduction from current prices. Frontier’s head of deployment, Hannah Bebbington, highlighted the potential to integrate these technologies into older industries, paving the way for large-scale, affordable carbon removal in the near future.
Google’s Willow quantum chip has ignited a debate about the multiverse theory, with Hartmut Neven from Google’s Quantum AI team suggesting that the chip’s performance supports the idea of quantum computation occurring across parallel universes. The chip’s ability to solve a computational problem exponentially faster than classical computers has raised the possibility that this speed is linked to the multiverse.
However, critics argue that Willow’s success can be explained by alternative interpretations of quantum mechanics, such as the Copenhagen or pilot-wave theories, and that there is no direct evidence proving the existence of parallel universes. Despite its impressive computational achievement, Willow does not provide empirical proof for the multiverse.
The implications of this debate extend beyond the multiverse theory itself, offering an opportunity to explore more profound questions about quantum mechanics and the nature of reality. Whether or not Willow proves the multiverse, the discussion prompts further investigation into quantum computing’s potential and its transformative impact on fields such as cryptography, material science, and AI.
Additionally, the conversation around Willow encourages scientists to re-examine established theories and explore new possibilities, driving innovation and expanding the frontiers of scientific understanding.
Google has launched the second generation of its AI model, Gemini, along with innovative applications like real-time AI-powered eyeglasses and a universal assistant, Project Astra. CEO Sundar Pichai called it the dawn of a ‘new agentic era,’ where virtual assistants can autonomously perform complex tasks under user supervision.
Gemini 2.0 now powers features such as AI Overviews in Google Search and includes advancements in image and audio processing. Google also revealed tools like Project Mariner for automating web tasks and Jules, an AI tool for software coding.
The company’s focus on embedding AI in widely used products like Search, YouTube, and Android is seen as a strategy to outpace competitors like OpenAI. Its Project Astra prototype can process multilingual conversations and integrate data from Maps and Lens. Testing on AI-enabled eyeglasses marks Google’s return to wearable tech, challenging rivals like Meta in the augmented reality space.
More than 20 price comparison websites across Europe, including Germany’s Idealo and France‘s LeGuide, criticised Google’s proposed changes to its search results, claiming they fail to comply with EUDigital Markets Act (DMA) requirements. The Act prohibits companies from favouring their own products and services on their platforms.
Google’s latest proposal includes redesigned search results to balance comparison sites and supplier websites, alongside testing an older ‘ten blue links’ format in some countries. However, the websites argue Google has disregarded feedback from over a year of discussions.
The critics, in an open letter, called on the European Commission to take decisive action, including fines, to ensure compliance. Google referred to a November statement highlighting efforts to meet DMA requirements.
Google and the Andhra Pradesh government in India have agreed to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centre in Visakhapatnam. That move is expected to enhance the state’s digital ecosystem significantly.
The AI Data Centre will transform Visakhapatnam into a major hub for AI, sea cables, and data centres, drawing global attention and positioning the port city as a leader in technological advancements. The initiative is seen as a game-changer for the region, potentially stimulating economic and social growth by creating a robust IT ecosystem and generating substantial employment opportunities.
The Andhra Pradesh government has played a key role in bringing this partnership to life, with leadership efforts focused on fostering an environment conducive to technological innovation. Looking to the future, both Google and the state are optimistic about the transformative impact of the AI Data Centre on the region.
Google views the state as a key partner for future initiatives, and both parties are excited about the potential for innovation and technological progress. This collaboration aligns with the state’s progressive industrial policies, cultivating a business-friendly environment that attracts global investors like Google.
Google has revealed that a trial of its traditional search result layout, featuring 10 blue links per page, negatively impacted both users and hotels. The test, conducted in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia, aimed to gauge the format’s viability under new EU digital regulations. The results showed users were less satisfied and took longer to find desired information, with hotel traffic dropping by over 10%.
The test was part of Google’s efforts to align with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which prohibits favouritism towards its own services. However, the return to the older layout, implemented last month, left hotels at a disadvantage and reduced the ability of users to locate accommodations efficiently. “People had to conduct more searches and often gave up without finding what they needed,” stated Oliver Bethell, Google’s Competition Legal Director.
The trial results come as Google faces mounting pressure from price comparison websites and the European Commission. Over 20 comparison platforms have criticised Google’s compliance proposals, urging EU regulators to impose penalties. Google has indicated it will seek further guidance from the Commission to develop a suitable solution. This tension underscores the challenges tech giants face in balancing business interests with regulatory compliance and user experience, particularly in Europe’s increasingly stringent tech landscape.
