Google has managed to map most of the world. Recently, the company offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how it’s built the Google Maps application using a combination of technology (the Google Street…
Google controls what billions of people find, see, know or even are aware of. As it gets better at delivering what it thinks people want, how will that affect humans’ perceptions of their own needs?
In the 10 years since Google Street View launched, the platform has provided ample fodder for artists, who have used it to comment on surveillance, poverty and gentrification.
Google pays Apple to make its search engine the default on its devices, but the iPhone maker actually has more market power in the relationship.
A hit 1983 movie illustrates what computer scientists have long known: If you give an AI agent a goal but don’t control what it can and can’t do, you shouldn’t be surprised by what it does.
One Google response asked for my medical history. Another answered a personal health question without asking who I was. Both replies came across as authoritative advice.
The EU is accusing Google of abusing its dominance in search, yet a similar antitrust case in the US led to a settlement. What counts for the divergent outcomes?
Social media sites aren’t the only online systems that can secretly influence people’s votes. Search engines can too and may be even more successful – and undetectable.
As Google turns 20, a look at how the company has grown – and what the next two decades might bring for the company.
Google News does not differentiate search results according to users’ politics – but it does favor mainstream news sites, which are seen as leaning left, and doesn’t clearly disclose how its algorithms work.
