Tag Archives: alphabet

Alphabet assures public that AI technology will not be used for military applications

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Alphabet, the owner of Google, has removed a commitment to not use artificial intelligence for developing weapons and surveillance tools.

U.S. tech companies revised ethical guidelines for AI just before reporting lower than expected revenue on Tuesday, citing technologies that have “caused overall harm or harm”. They stated they no longer abided by the previous commitment.

Google’s AI chief, Demis Hassabis, emphasized the changing guidelines in a world where AI should also protect “national security”.

In a Blogpost discussing the issue, James Manica, a senior vice president of societal and societal affairs, argues that as the global competition for AI leadership intensifies, democracy should guide AI development while protecting human rights.

They added, “We believe that companies, governments, and organizations that share these values should collaborate to protect individuals, promote global development, and create AI that supports national security.”

The original motto of Google was “Don’t be evil”, which was later downgraded to a “mantra” in 2009 and included in Alphabet’s ethical guidelines when the parent company was established in 2015.

The rapid advancement of AI has sparked discussions on how to govern new technologies and mitigate risks.

British computer scientist Stuart Russell warned about the dangers of developing autonomous weapon systems during a REITH lecture on the BBC, advocating for a global control system.

The Google Blogpost argues that technology has evolved significantly since the company first introduced AI principles in 2018. Hassabis and Manica highlight the widespread use of AI in everyday life, emphasizing its role as a general-purpose technology used by various organizations and individuals to create applications.

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“AI has transitioned from a niche research area to a technology as ubiquitous as mobile phones and the Internet itself. It has numerous practical applications for people.

Google’s stock dropped by 7.5% after hours following the Tuesday report, which indicated slightly lower-than-expected revenue of $96.5 billion (£77 billion) compared to analysts’ forecast of $96.67 billion.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Alphabet, Google’s Parent Company, Fails to Impress Wall Street with Revenue Amid Tough AI Competition

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Alphabet, Google’s parent company, saw a drop of over 6% following the release of its quarterly results on Tuesday. The company reported revenue of $96.5 billion, slightly below analysts’ expectations of $96.67 billion. While Alphabet exceeded investors’ earnings per share (EPS) expectation of $2.13 by reporting $2.15, the company highlighted a strong fourth quarter led by AI advancements and overall business momentum.

Revenue breakdown included $84 billion from Google Search and services, with $12 billion from YouTube advertising and cloud revenue. Analysts are closely watching Alphabet’s competitive position in AI search and cloud revenues amidst growing competition from players like Chinese DeepSeek and OpenAI.

The company’s deceleration reflects a challenging year for Google, raising concerns about its future competitiveness. Alphabet plans to invest $750 billion in capital spending in the coming year to further develop AI and infrastructure.

Despite ongoing AI development efforts across the industry, Alphabet remains focused on AI innovation with a significant investment plan. The company aims to leverage its AI capabilities for monetization in the coming years.

Concerns about rising AI costs and their impact on Alphabet’s AI advertising strategy have emerged in light of recent developments. Analysts are closely monitoring how these developments will shape Alphabet’s future AI initiatives and competitiveness.

Additionally, Alphabet remains committed to responsible AI development practices, emphasizing the importance of democracy, human rights, and global cooperation in AI leadership. The company reaffirms its commitment to using AI for positive impact and national security.

Legal challenges, including antitrust investigations, pose further uncertainties for Alphabet’s future. The Ministry of Justice’s case against a major search company raises concerns about potential regulatory actions that could affect the tech industry.

In light of geopolitical tensions, particularly with China, Alphabet faces additional challenges as regulatory scrutiny intensifies. China’s response to tariff announcements and antitrust investigations adds to the uncertain outlook for Google.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Archaeologists uncover ancient alphabet, the oldest ever found

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According to Professor Glenn Schwartz of Johns Hopkins University, the script dates from around 2400 B.C., making it roughly 500 years older than any other known alphabet.

A 4,400-year-old clay object discovered in the ancient city of Umm El Mara in Syria. The carved symbols may be part of the oldest known alphabet. Image credit: Glenn Schwartz, Johns Hopkins University.

“The alphabet revolutionized writing by making it accessible to people beyond royalty and social elites. Alphabet writing changed the way people lived, thought, and communicated.” said Professor Schwartz.

“And this new discovery shows that people were experimenting with new communication technologies in different places much earlier than previously imagined.”

The letters of this alphabet are carved into finger-long clay cylinders excavated at Tell Um-el-Mara, one of the first medium-sized cities to emerge in western Syria.

In Umm El Mara, archaeologists have discovered tombs dating back to the early Bronze Age.

One of the best-preserved tombs contained six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, cooking utensils, spear points, and intact ceramic vessels.

Next to the pottery, researchers found four lightly fired clay cylinders with letters that appeared to be an alphabet written on them.

A 4,400-year-old clay object discovered in the ancient city of Umm El Mara in Syria. Image credit: Glenn Schwartz, Johns Hopkins University.

“The cylinder had a hole in it, so we think it may have a string attached to another object that acts as a label,” Schwartz said.

“Perhaps there are details about what's inside the ship, or where it came from or who it belongs to.”

“We have no way to translate the text, so we can only guess.”

Scientists used carbon-14 dating techniques to confirm the age of the graves, artifacts and writings.

“Until now, scholars thought the alphabet was invented in or around Egypt sometime after 1900 BC,” Professor Schwartz said.

“But our artifacts are older and come from a different region on the map, suggesting the alphabet may have an entirely different origin story than we thought.” I am.”

Professor Schwartz presented the results of this research at a lecture today. 2024 American Society for Overseas Research (ASOR 2024) annual general meeting.

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Glenn M. Schwartz. An example of early alphabetic writing from Umm el-Mara, Syria, 24th century BC. ASOR 2024

Source: www.sci.news

Wizz, a cybersecurity company, turns down $23 billion acquisition bid from Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company

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Cybersecurity company Wizz has turned down a $23bn (£18bn) takeover offer from Google’s parent Alphabet, making it the largest takeover bid ever for a tech company, and has opted for a stock market listing instead.

Alphabet had been in discussions with Wizz, a company established by graduates of Israel’s cyber-intelligence program, in an effort to catch up with competitors Microsoft and Amazon in the competitive cloud-services market.

Wiz provides a service that scans data on cloud storage platforms like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure for potential security threats.

The New York-based startup, which is financially backed by investors such as Sequoia Capital and Thrive Capital, was last valued at $12 billion.

In an internal email to employees, the company expressed gratitude for the offer but decided to remain committed to its mission of building Wiz. CEO Assaf Rapaport outlined the company’s objectives of reaching $1 billion in annual recurring revenue and going public.

Despite the tempting offer, the company’s trust in its skilled team reaffirmed their decision. The positive response from the market further reinforced their aim to create a platform that is loved by both security and development teams.

As of Tuesday morning, neither Wizz nor Google have released an official statement regarding the end of the acquisition negotiations.

There are concerns that the deal may face regulatory challenges as authorities seek to tighten their control over acquisitions involving major tech companies.

Last month, the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission agreed to investigate leading players in the AI market, including Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia.

Established in 2020, Wizz was valued at $12 billion in a funding round in May, attracting investments from Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Thrive.

Wiz claims to have 40% of the Fortune 100 as clients and boasts an annual recurring revenue of $350 million.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Alphabet Embraces Rare AI Opportunity as Revenue Rises

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Shares of Alphabet, the owner of Google and YouTube, surged following the company’s announcement of its inaugural dividend and a substantial increase in profits for the last quarter.

CEO Sundar Pichai lauded the shift to artificial intelligence as a rare opportunity and emphasized the company’s swift adoption of technology across all sectors.

Investors were pleased with the company’s financial results and the news of a $70 billion share repurchase.

Google’s Q1 2024 revenue reached $80.5 billion, with earnings per share ranging from $1.17 to $1.89, marking a 15% year-over-year increase, surpassing analysts’ expectations on both fronts.

Alphabet’s shares climbed approximately 15% in after-hours trading. An initial dividend of $0.20 per share was declared, with payments scheduled quarterly.


“Our first quarter results reflect strong performance in search, YouTube, and cloud services. We are propelling into the Gemini era with significant momentum across the organization,” Pichai stated in a press release.

Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat noted that revenue from Google Search ads and Google Cloud contributed to overall positive growth. Revenue from YouTube and Google Cloud surpassed Wall Street’s estimates, with Cloud’s operating profit quadrupling to $900 million. Despite a 10% increase in traffic acquisition costs, Alphabet saw strong financial performance.

Analyst Nikhil Rai from Forrester Research commented on Alphabet’s exceptional quarter driven by robust search and YouTube advertising revenue, though challenges remain in monetizing conversational search and measuring branded media impact.

Recent internal and external controversies have disrupted Google’s operations, with financial results coinciding with employee protests, antitrust concerns, and the delayed rollout of the Gemini AI tool.

Google’s stock price has continued to climb despite ongoing legal battles and internal turmoil, positioning the company for potential growth pending the outcome of key antitrust proceedings.

Despite setbacks related to Gemini AI and controversies surrounding business contracts, Google remains resilient in the face of challenges and is actively reshaping its operations in response to market dynamics.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Alphabet management informs employees to anticipate more job reductions this year

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Google’s CEO told employees to expect additional layoffs this year following recent layoffs that affected 1,000 employees.

In a memo to staff on Wednesday, Sundar Pichai said departments within the tech company continue to make changes and “some roles may be affected.”

Pichai’s memo acknowledged further layoffs reported last week, with the Alphabet Union, which represents workers within Google and its parent company Alphabet, announcing that 1,000 employees were affected.

“We have ambitious goals and will invest in big priorities,” he said in a memo reported by technology news website The Verge. “The reality is that we have to make hard choices to create this investment capacity.”

Pichai said the difficult choices so far include job losses at Google’s divisions, which include search, ad sales and the YouTube platform.

He noted that Alphabet cut 12,000 jobs across Alphabet in January last year, and said the job cuts would not reach that level. The company employed 182,000 people as of September 30 last year, according to its latest quarterly results.

“These role reductions are not at the scale of last year’s reductions and will not affect all teams,” Pichai wrote. “But I know it’s very difficult to see your colleagues and teams affected.”

Pichai announced the layoffs last year, saying Alphabet experienced a hiring boom as demand for tech companies surged during the coronavirus pandemic. He acknowledged that the company had overexpanded and wrote that it “hired for a different economic reality” than the one Alphabet faces now.

Pichai’s Wednesday memo was not on par with 12 months ago, when Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon and Meta made tens of thousands of layoffs to adapt to the post-lockdown economy, sent to employees against the background of technical layoffs elsewhere. In December, Spotify announced it would cut 17% of its global workforce, while Amazon cut hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and Studio divisions, as well as about 500 employees at live streaming platform Twitch announced that he would be fired.

According to a website that tracks job losses in the technology industry. layoff.fyi, the sector has made 7,785 job cuts globally so far this year. By the same time last year, tech companies had laid off even more employees, about 38,000.

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Pichai said Wednesday that the latest job cuts are focused on “reducing tiers to simplify execution and increase speed in some areas,” with more role cuts to come. Stated.

“While many of these changes have already been announced, we want to say upfront that some teams will continue to make specific resource allocation decisions throughout the year as needed and some roles will be affected. “There is a possibility that we will be subject to this,” he added.

Google declined to comment.

Source: www.theguardian.com