It is match point Google as the tech giant prepares to introduce a new “AI Mode” for its search engine, which will allow users to transition into an atmosphere that resembles the Gemini AI chatbot interface.
According to a report from The Information, Google will add an AI Mode tab to the link options in its search results, where the “All,” “Images,” “Videos,” and “Shopping” options reside. The AI Mode would make Google search more accessible and intuitive for users, allowing them to “ask follow-up” questions pertaining to the links in the results via a chatbot text bar, the publication added.
Prior reports from Android Authority uncovered the APK for the AI Mode feature within a beta version of the Google Search mobile app in early December. Notably, in the publication’s screenshots, the icon for AI Mode is denoted as a magnifying glass with a plus sign. Additionally, 9to5Google previously uncovered that the AI Mode feature would have a speech option, allowing users to input queries with their voice.
While Google has not made any comment about the development, the brand is notably in competition with OpenAI, the creator of the ChatGPT chatbot. When OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Search in late October, many noted how Google Search could have its closest rival due to the tool’s quickly growing popularity.
Third-party researchers indicated that ChatGPT has seen exponential traffic with 3.7 billion visits to its site worldwide, compared to Google Chrome’s 3.45 billion users. This sparked murmurs of the parent company potentially developing an AI-powered browser to go head-to-head with Google. OpenAI executives have denied that it has a browser in the works. Meanwhile, OpenAI has discussed plans to ramp up AI development efforts to reach a goal of 1 billion ChatGPT users in 2025. The company recently marketed its “12 days of OpenAI” where it introduced several AI developments for ChatGPT consumers, enterprise users, and Apple integration, among other interesting announcements.
Conversely, pundits note Google’s primary development in its search engine has included AI summaries in Google Search. The brand has now begun to introduce support for this feature to several additional markets. So far, the company’s AI strategy has appeared to be integrating Google’s legacy features into Gemini instead of the other way around.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.