🔍 Google AI Search Shift, Snap’s AR Bet, EU Cloud Gaps
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, March 18. Today we are covering:
Google Testing Links In AI Overviews To More Search Results
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel Bets Meta Can't Copy High-Tech Glasses
But how to get to that European cloud?
Tesla's China rival Zeekr to roll out advanced driver assistance-system for free
Google launches new healthcare-related features for Search, Android
Let’s dive in
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Google Testing Links In AI Overviews To More Search Results
By Barry Schwartz via Search Engine Roundtable
Google is testing AI Overviews with more visible and clickable links that direct users to additional Google Search results, similar to the dotted-line links seen in featured snippets.
This change increases the likelihood of users staying within Google’s ecosystem, potentially boosting search volume and engagement, while links to publisher sites remain less prominent.
The update has sparked debate about Google’s prioritization of its own content over publisher links, with critics arguing that AI Overviews disproportionately favor internal search navigation.
𝕏: Let's hope this test never sees the light of day... AIOs don't need more links to fresh search results... they need prominent links to publishers where the answers are sourced. I can't reproduce this test (thankfully), so I'm hoping it never rolls out. Time will tell. - Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe)
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel Bets Meta Can't Copy High-Tech Glasses
By Austin Carr via Bloomberg
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel demonstrated the latest Snap Spectacles, showcasing their advanced augmented reality capabilities with an immersive game of capture the flag.
The glasses allow users to interact with 3D digital elements, such as placing virtual objects, selecting apps with hand gestures, and engaging in AR-enhanced activities.
Spiegel remains confident in Snap’s AR future, betting that its technology will stay ahead of competitors like Meta in the race for high-tech wearable dominance.
𝕏: Hi everyone, At Niantic, we’ve long been believers of building experiences at the cutting-edge of technology. Technology that not only brings us closer to the world around us, but also to the people that inhabit that world… - asim (@tweetsfromasim)
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But how to get to that European cloud?
berthub.eu
European governments can no longer rely on American cloud services, but market forces have failed to create a viable European alternative, necessitating industrial policy to foster a sovereign cloud ecosystem.
Strategic procurement and funding mechanisms—such as targeted contracts, open-source investments, and smart subsidies—are essential to building European digital infrastructure, mirroring past successes like Galileo and Airbus.
Governments must deepen their technological expertise to implement effective policies, incentivize European cloud development, and ensure data sovereignty—potentially leveraging Sprind-like innovation agencies and stricter enforcement of GDPR privacy laws.
Tesla's China rival Zeekr to roll out advanced driver assistance-system for free
By Evelyn Cheng via CNBC
Zeekr, a Chinese electric vehicle company, is rolling out advanced driver-assistance features for free to local customers as competition intensifies, directly challenging Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system in China.
The system, which enables nearly autonomous driving with driver supervision, will initially launch to a pilot group before a full public release in April 2025. Zeekr's CEO emphasized that offering it for free is a strategic move to close the gap with market leaders.
Zeekr’s technology is powered by Nvidia Orin X chips and lidar sensors, with future models incorporating Nvidia’s Thor chip for enhanced autonomy. The system will also be used by Lynk & Co. and potentially Geely, reflecting a broader push in China's driver-assistance arms race.
Google launches new healthcare-related features for Search, Android
By Ivan Mehta via TechCrunch
Google introduced new healthcare-focused features in Search, including expanded AI-driven knowledge panels for medical topics, support for queries in Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese, and a "What People Suggest" feature that surfaces user-generated health insights.
The company launched medical records APIs for Health Connect, enabling apps to read and write standardized health data like allergies, medications, and lab results, enhancing interoperability across platforms.
Google unveiled TxGemma, a new open AI model for drug discovery, and announced the Loss of Pulse Detection feature for the Pixel Watch 3, which can automatically call emergency services in case of cardiac arrest.
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