Google’s AI Mode: The Chatbot Comes to Search

Google is moving its experimental AI Mode out of the lab and into the real world. Beginning in the coming weeks, a small percentage of U.S. users will see a new AI Mode tab. Instead of a list of links, AI Mode delivers a conversational answer generated from Google’s index, effectively turning Search into a Gemini‑powered chatbot. Continue Reading →

Agentic Shopping is Closer Than You May Think

Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal just rewrote online checkout. Within 24 hours, all three networks launched agent-ready platforms that let autonomous AI systems shop, decide, and pay for us. Mastercard: Agent Pay. Tokenized card credentials slip directly into AI workflows. Verified software agents can authenticate, choose the best payment method, and close a sale, whether it is Continue Reading →

Why ChatGPT Suddenly Sounded Like a Fanboy

Sam Altman (@sama) says that OpenAI has rolled back a recent update to ChatGPT that turned the model into a relentlessly obsequious people-pleaser. The behavior, described by users as "overly verbose, excessively agreeable, and kind of creepy," triggered backlash and memes. In short, ChatGPT went from helpful to "ass-kissing weirdo" – as one headline so delicately put it. Continue Reading →

Microsoft Finally Launches Recall AI for Windows

After nearly a year of delays, Microsoft has officially launched Recall, its AI-powered search feature for Windows 11. Available now on Copilot+ PCs through the April 2025 non-security preview update, Recall introduces AI-driven memory search by periodically capturing screenshots of user activity. Continue Reading →

AI in Creative Work: Required vs. Inspired Content

In “If You Can't Tell the Difference, There Is No Difference,” I argued that when AI-generated work is indistinguishable from human-made content, the distinction becomes irrelevant. Microsoft’s latest Surface commercial (created with the help of generative AI) puts that theory into practice. Continue Reading →

The Washington Post Joins OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ecosystem

The Washington Post is reporting that it has entered into a strategic partnership with OpenAI to integrate its journalism into ChatGPT’s search experience. Effective immediately, summaries, quotes, and direct links to The Post’s reporting will appear in ChatGPT responses to relevant user queries. Continue Reading →

There’s an Agent for That

I absolutely loved my original StarTAC and Razr flip phones. They were elegant, purposeful, and iconic—back when Motorola ruled the cell phone world and phones were, well, phones. Fast-forward to April 24, 2025: the new Motorola Razr, powered by Perplexity AI, might be the first phone in years that makes me rethink my relationship with my iPhone (and my Galaxy, too… don’t ask). Continue Reading →