This week: After 25 years, Google is changing its signature search bar. Hardly surprising, it is doubling down on AI-generated answers. But it's also leaving behind the creative sources that fuel its responses. Is it time to rethink our reliance on Google?

Hi Reader

I hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day weekend and spending some valuable time with friends and family. If you were in an all-fired rush to get things off your desk before you shut down for the weekend, you may have missed Google's big announcement this week.

For the first time in 25 years, the Google Search Bar is getting a makeover. We've already seen some of this playing out as AI-generated summaries take center stage. But life is about to get a lot more difficult if you rely on Google for traffic or new business.

In an interview with CNN, Google said the change is happening because questions are getting more complicated. "People are asking much longer and harder questions that no longer have a clear response anywhere on the internet," said Robby Stein, vice president of product for Google Search.

The subtext is maddening. Only Google is adept enough to parse the data.

But what no one seems to be talking about is how this shift will impact AI training models. If Google reduces the rewards for high-quality content and only sends AI crawlers to its own synthesis, there are much larger questions ahead of us.

I dive into some of those questions in this wee's blog post.

Enjoy your time with friends and family.

Monica

P.S.: I'm excited to be one of the 28 speakers featured during the AI Clarity Summit. This free, 14-day online event (June 1–14) is designed for real people who want to understand AI. Straight shooting on what matters right now from some amazing speakers. You can check out the schedule here.

This Week's Article

The Google Search Bar is Getting a Makeover

For 25 years, Google helped users answer their most burning questions. But now things are about to get dark for website owners. Here's what's changing, why it matters, and what you need to do about it.

What I'm Reading

🔵 Anthropic Courts a New Customer: Small Business Owners — The new suite includes integrations between Claude Cowork and a number of software products—like QuickBooks, Canva, DocuSign, HubSpot, and PayPal. [Tech Crunch]

🟢 Demis Hassabis Thinks AI Job Cuts Are Dumb — The CEO of Google DeepMind tells WIRED that companies should use the productivity gains of AI to do more, not lay people off. "When we outsource our thinking to a tool that predicts the most likely next word, we're not just getting help. We're subtly training ourselves—and potentially our children—to value the average idea over the original one. [Wired]

🔴 Microsoft Reports are Exposing AI’s Real Cost Problem — Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees. While some cling to the promise of an AI "renaissance" or "revolution," the cost of adoption is proving a stubborn bottleneck. [MSN]

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