Weekly Prompt: Meta’s building an AI search engine and other news

Meta reportedly building its own search engine for its AI chatbot

Meta is developing its own web search engine to power its Meta AI chatbot, according to a report by The Information. This initiative aims to reduce the company's reliance on Microsoft's Bing and Google, which currently provide web search results within the chatbot, complete with source links. Meta recently partnered with Reuters, allowing its chatbot to use Reuters news content in responses.

The new search engine, currently under development, would utilize a web crawler—similar to those used by Google and Bing—to gather information and reportedly generate AI-driven search summaries of current events within the Meta AI chatbot. Meta already employs various web crawlers for its AI projects, and these have seen increased activity recently. While building a comprehensive search engine is a significant undertaking, it aligns with Meta's broader strategy of gathering more data for its AI initiatives.

This development comes amid growing competition in the generative AI space. Microsoft and Google, Meta's current partners for chatbot search results, are also direct competitors in AI development, alongside OpenAI and its new ChatGPT Search product. By creating its own search engine, Meta could gain more control over its data and lessen its reliance on these competitors.

Sources: The Information, Reuters, Social Media Today, The Verge

Additional prompts

Amazon is extending the availability of its AI-enabled shopping assistant, Rufus, to more markets. Rufus was first trialled in the U.S. in February before launching five months later. The beta version has since expanded to India and the U.K., and will now be available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Read more

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is launching physical books through its publishing arm, 8th Note Press, in partnership with U.S.-based publisher Zando. Fuelled by the viral success of BookTok, a vibrant community where readers share recommendations, the venture will focus on popular genres like romance and young adult fiction, with plans to release 10 to 15 titles per year starting in 2025, blending online trends with traditional publishing to broaden its reach. Read more

Google Maps is getting a generative AI boost with new features powered by Google's Gemini model. US users will be able to leverage AI for personalized recommendations and location-based questions. Enhanced navigation features, including lane guidance, are also rolling out. Similar AI experiences are planned for Google Search. Read more

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Search, building on the SearchGPT prototype unveiled this summer, to deliver timely answers by drawing information from the web. Integrated into the ChatGPT platform and powered by a fine-tuned GPT-4 model, ChatGPT Search provides news, sports scores, stock quotes, and images, along with links to relevant sources. Users can start web searches manually or let ChatGPT decide based on the question, with options for follow-up questions to refine results. Read more