eNews
Google to launch search service on TV programmes
MUMBAI: Leading search engine Google is spreading its wings beyond the web. The California-based company is all set to forge an association with broadcasters to provide a service allowing web users to find content in television programmes. The feature will provide information and videos broadcast on television.
Google video will be placed in the Google Labs section in an index which will operate separately from the home page. Initially Google will provide programme information and visuals from channels like ABC, PBS, Fox News and C-SPAN.
The search engine will display up to five still video images from the indexed television programmes, as well as snippets from the show’s narrative. The results will also provide information on the programme schedules. Surfers will be able to access local programming information by keying in the ZIP code.
Google has already revealed its plans to digitally convert and make searchable millions of books from the libraries of leading universities in the US. Reportedly, rival Yahoo also has plans to launch a video search service for television programmes. It had launched Yahoo Video Search, a trial version, in mid-December 2004.
eNews
OpenAI researcher Zoe Hitzig resigns over ChatGPT ad plans
Zoe Hitzig says an ad-driven model could put user privacy and AI integrity at risk.
CALIFORNIA: OpenAI researcher Zoe Hitzig has resigned from the company, citing concerns about the introduction of advertising in ChatGPT. Hitzig, who spent two years working on AI development and governance, announced her departure in a guest essay for The New York Times, just as the company began testing ads.
Hitzig’s main concern is not the presence of ads itself, but the long-term financial pressure they could create. While OpenAI maintains that ads will be clearly labelled and will not influence the AI’s responses, she argues that dependence on ad revenue can eventually change how a company operates.
She also expressed concern about the vast amount of sensitive data OpenAI holds, questioning whether the company can resist the tidal forces that push businesses to monetise private information.
“I resigned from OpenAI on Monday. The same day, they started testing ads in ChatGPT. OpenAI has the most detailed record of private human thought ever assembled. Can we trust them to resist the tidal forces pushing them to abuse it?” she wrote in a post on X.
Her warning points to a growing tension between business priorities and ethical responsibility, raising the question of whether a company can deliver objective AI responses while also keeping advertisers happy. It also underscores concerns around data privacy, as OpenAI handles vast amounts of personal information, creating risks that go beyond those faced by earlier tech platforms. At the same time, there are fears about future integrity, with financial pressures potentially pushing AI systems to favour engagement over accuracy or safety.
As ChatGPT moves from a purely subscription-based model toward a more commercial approach, the industry is watching closely. For Hitzig, the shift represents a fundamental change in OpenAI’s mission, raising concerns that the drive for profit could eventually compromise the integrity of the technology.
