Google rolls out major AI update with Gemini assistant
Google is rolling out ambitious updates to its artificial intelligence, including using the Gemini model as a universal assistant. NBC News' Brian Cheung examines how Google plans to use AI to turn its search engine into a chatbot, including the ability to help users try on and buy clothes.
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Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
I tested Perplexity vs Google AI overview with 7 prompts — the results were shocking
Search is undergoing a profound change. For decades, Google has dominated the web search world, with some 90% of all searches funnelled through the massive Google machine. But suddenly, with the arrival of artificial intelligence, things are starting to change, and seriously so. Not only are people increasingly using AI products like ChatGPT as their default search tool, but companies like Perplexity are also building businesses around search services. The idea is to combine the power of AI analysis with the huge amount of conventional search data available at the end of a cursor. But Google is fighting back. The company has recently released an advanced search function called AI Overviews, which aims to bridge the two disciplines and deliver the kind of informed search results the market demands. It's a new kind of search on steroids. So how do the two approaches compare in everyday use? We take a look at Google's new AI Overviews and compare the results to Perplexity AI, to see which gives a better bang for the buck. Prompt: Summarize the key contributions of John McCarthy, Geoffrey Hinton and Noam Shazeer to the development of artificial intelligence. We thought we'd start with something close to home - a look at the architects of AI from the past. First impressions are that Google delivers a competent but fairly traditional results page from this request. Its answer of 238 words covers all the basic points and gives a good overview of the points as you'd expect. Perplexity delivers over 400 words, but it's more than just the quantity that's impressive. It's the fact that the results are laid out in a much more engaging manner, with the user being encouraged to explore additional information in a variety of different ways. They can explore related data, look directly at the sources and even regenerate the results to get a different perspective. Where Google seems to do the bare minimum, Perplexity really seems to add user value. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Google 4/10 Perplexity 7/10 Prompt: Create a 3-day itinerary for a first-time visitor to Tokyo on a modest budget. The user is interested in Japanese culture and food, but wants to avoid tourist traps. This is a real kicker, a stark example of the old versus the new. Google completely fails to deliver any meaningful response, but instead retreats to a standard Google search. The answer merely features a selection of third-party websites offering tour advice. This is obviously beneficial to Google as it will no doubt allow it to earn ad revenue. Perplexity, on the other hand, delivers a glorious 1000 words of real down-to-earth itinerary. This includes gorgeous photos, maps and itemized costings, which will be more than enough for the user to get a great idea of the proposed experience. Google 2/10 Perplexity 9/10 Prompt: What is the technology behind noise cancelling headphones? Once again we can see the difference between traditional search results and new style AI analysis, although in this case the difference is not so great. Google's results are very credible with 186 words of explanation, along with a useful YouTube video. Perplexity, however, takes it to a more advanced level. The explanation is roughly the same, but the prose is much more accessible to a layperson. Instead of using the word 'inverse', for example, the app chooses to use simpler English to explain how sound is cancelled. It's a subtle but important use of 500 words to achieve a more understandable answer. Google 6/10 Perplexity 8/10 Prompt: Explain the 'double-dig' method of garden bed preparation and contrast it to no-till farming This is quite an obscure test, involving little-known agricultural techniques. But for gardeners it's a very important topic. Google's response is very workmanlike and informative, and uses 260 words to deliver a good answer to the question. The use of Reddit and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are also great sources, which add authority to the answer. Unfortunately for Google, Perplexity once again matches and exceeds in response quality. The RHS and Reddit are also mentioned, as is YouTube. But two things really make this answer stand out. First, the use of a great table to explain the differences at a glance and, most importantly, a conclusion, which gives a clear indication as to why no-dig is increasingly considered the better solution. Google 7/10 Perplexity 8/10 Prompt: What are the primary compliance challenges for a US-based tech startup under the EU's AI Act? This request pushes search to the limits of topicality and obtuse legal documents. Surprisingly, Google's results are very lackluster. The search engine offers up a 57 word March 2025 'featured snippet' from an obscure third-party publication, and that's it. It shows no interest in digging deeper into the topic for the user. Yet again Perplexity tries harder. We're talking 600 words set in a beautiful bullet point format, running through the main challenges and issues surrounding compliance. Along with 9 easily accessible sources and a handful of related subject matter links. Masterful. Google 2/10 Perplexity 8/10 Prompt: What does the history and potential future of blockchain and cryptocurrency look like? This prompt clearly demonstrates why Google's AI Overview is unfortunately not really ready for prime time. The original prompt was something like 'explain cryptocurrency to a fifth grader', but when tested Google couldn't handle it and served up a lame Quora snippet. It's only when we changed the prompt to this one that AI Overview kicked into action, and delivered a reasonable result. It's obvious there's not that much AI involved in AI Overview yet. Interestingly though, this was probably Google's best result. We got 400 words of densely packed information covering the topic clearly and succinctly. Perplexity was also good, providing 600 words and a nice table. Not much to choose between the two then. Google 8/10 Perplexity 8/10 Prompt: What kind of cat is this? For the final prompt we thought we'd go with something a little more exotic. Both search platforms support image upload, so what better than to upload a friendly looking cat to get some more information? Google takes the uploaded image as a prompt to display a page full of similar images, which aligns with its original image matching search. But a re-prompt of 'what kind of cat is this' then delivered a very short four line answer which, although correct, was not super helpful. Perplexity's response was 246 words, with bullets points, covering coat pattern, fur, and the breed. Even a fun fact (calico cats are almost always female). Engaging and informative. Google 3/10 Perplexity 7/10 The king is dead, long live the king? Based on this showing, the rumors could indeed be true. The mighty Google may in fact be on the way to losing its grip on the world's search traffic. Is this the end of an era? Time will tell. However if there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's never to discount the ability of the Google empire to strike back. Uniquely in the world, the company has the compute power, the data and the legendary AI pedigree to surprise us all. Test Notes. It should be noted that we did not use any of the advanced Perplexity functions, but kept to the basic default service. Which make the results even more impressive. It's also important to recognize the fact that AI can get things wrong. Both services feature disclaimers which stress that users should not assume AI search responses are factually correct. This is an early technology finding its feet, users should take care.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton's Catholic school board approves $467M budget for 2025-26
When Pat Daly took helm in 1991, Hamilton's Catholic school board was running a 'significant' deficit. 'Dramatic' cuts were made to financially stabilize the organization, and the board committed to do everything in their power to not let it happen again, the outgoing chair told trustees on Tuesday evening. The board approved a balanced operating budget of $466,963,201, with a small surplus, at its June 17 committee of the whole meeting, Daly's last after 40 years as trustee. Trustees commended finance staff, who faced challenges in delivering a budget this year due to the delayed allocation of core education funding — the board's primary source — as a result of the provincial election. The 2025-26 estimate is up about 2.4 per cent over the previous year, and leaves a surplus of $11,471. The budget is based on six 'pillars,' including excellence, dignity, good stewardship, faith formation and mental health, according to the report. By far the largest expense is salaries and wages for staff, accounting for 71 per cent of the budget. These are the board's top operational expenses: Not included in this list is amortization at about $24 million. A growing number of students is expected to learn at Hamilton's Catholic schools next year, with the board estimating an enrolment of about 31,336 students, up about 502 students from the previous year. The majority of the growth is at high schools, which will grow by about 312 students, or a 2.9 per cent bump. Meanwhile, at the public board, secondary enrolment is expected to decrease slightly. To support students, the Catholic board is adding about 19 full-time positions. In 2025-26, staff is estimated to cost: Positions added this year include an Applied Behavior Analysis facilitator, two elementary math facilitators, 1.5 secondary math facilitators and an elementary special-education teacher, among others. Additions are 'really good news,' Daly said. The board also approved a capital budget of about $26.7 million to renovate and build new schools and improve the condition of existing buildings. A small percentage of this budget is allocated to 'tangible' assets, like student devices and technology upgrades in schools. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board approved a 2025-26 budget of $751 million on Monday. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Here's Why I'm Buying Alphabet Stock Like There's No Tomorrow
Generative AI is challenging Alphabet's Google search business. The company's financial results have remained strong despite this rising competitor. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) doesn't get the same respect as its big tech peers. These stocks all trade at a premium to the market, as measured by the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), while Alphabet does not. There is a lot of pessimism that Alphabet's primary cash cow, the Google search engine, could be losing its dominance, threatening the company as we know it today. However, the numbers don't back this up. Google Search is still dominant and making a ton of money. Because of Alphabet's strong financial picture and cheap price, it's an excellent stock to load up on right now. Most of the concern about Alphabet losing market share involves users switching to alternatives, such as generative AI models. Regardless of which one they use, each time a generative AI model is asked a question, it is one time that Google isn't able to place ads in front of a user. This threatens a core part of the company's business because it gets 56% of its revenue from search. We've seen Google's market share slip a bit, dropping below 90% for the first time since 2015 earlier this year. Still, this doesn't mean the financial picture is trending in the wrong direction, as Google Search revenue rose 10% year over year in the first quarter. One thing helping Google maintain its position is the introduction of AI search overviews, which bridge the gap between a traditional Google search and using a generative AI model. Management has discussed how popular the feature is, and it is going to continue developing it. Although the forecast for Google's market share isn't particularly great, it's still doing an excellent job with its business. I think the market is underestimating the fact that most consumers aren't going to switch away from Google unless something much better is launched. This will protect Alphabet's mindshare and ensure that it continues producing solid results. The first quarter's results were truly fantastic and did not indicate a company that was struggling at all. In that quarter, overall revenue increased 12% year over year, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 49% year over year. If all I presented were those growth rates and its valuation, you would think it's an incredibly undervalued stock. But because Alphabet's name is attached to the stock, it trades at a hefty discount to the market and its peers. With the stock trading at a mere 18.6 times forward earnings, it's far cheaper than the S&P 500, which trades at 22.9 times forward earnings. The results become even more eye-opening compared to some of its peers in big tech. Revenue Growth Rate Diluted EPS Growth Rate Forward P/E Alphabet 12% 49% 18.6 Apple 5.1% 7.8% 27.6 Microsoft 13.3% 17.7% 35.8 Amazon 8.6% 62.2% 34.8 Data source: YCharts. Note: All growth rates were taken from each company's last reported quarters. Alphabet is posting results similar to these other three, yet it trades for a massive discount compared to them. This makes me conclude one of two things: The other big tech stocks are overvalued, or Alphabet is undervalued. Both can be true, but what matters is what investors do with their money. Alphabet is a great stock right now, as it combines growth and value well. This combination could provide explosive returns in the future, making it one of my best stocks to buy. Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Here's Why I'm Buying Alphabet Stock Like There's No Tomorrow was originally published by The Motley Fool
