Day: February 22, 2024

  • Google updates Sign-In and Sign-Up Interface: A fresh modern look

    Google updates Sign-In and Sign-Up Interface: A fresh modern look

    Google is rolling out a significant visual update to its Google Account sign-in and sign-up pages, introducing a more modern design consistent with the Material Design aesthetic used across its other products.

    This update will affect both web and mobile platforms, focusing solely on the visual aspect without altering the functionality of the pages.

    New Google Sign-In Page on web: what’s changing

    For administrators: There are no admin controls for this update.
    For end users: No specific end-user settings are required to take advantage of these improvements. The changes will be automatically visible, and more information can be found by visiting Google’s Help Center to learn about the new sign-in page.

    Update rollout pace and availability

    The update will be gradually rolled out to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains, starting on February 21, 2024, with completion expected by March 4, 2024. This update is available to all Google Workspace customers as well as to users with personal Google Accounts.

    Useful resources

    For more details, users are encouraged to visit Google’s Help Center, where extensive information about the new sign-in interface is available. With this update, Google aims to provide an even more intuitive user experience that aligns with the visual identity of its products, reaffirming the company’s commitment to innovation and continuous improvement of its services.

  • Google pauses AI-generated images of people after ehnicity criticism

    Google pauses AI-generated images of people after ehnicity criticism

    In a move that has sparked debates and reflections in the technology world and beyond, Google has announced a temporary suspension of its new artificial intelligence model, Gemini, from producing images of people following criticism over the ethnic portrayal of historical figures such as Second World War German soldiers and Vikings. These portrayals, which included people of color in historically traditionally associated with Caucasian figures, raised questions of historical accuracy and bias in AI.

    Google’s decision to halt people image generation with Gemini comes after social media users shared examples of images produced by the tool depicting historical figures – including popes and the founding fathers of the US – in a variety of ethnicities and genders. “We are already working to address recent issues with Gemini’s image generation feature. While we do this, we will pause the image generation of people and will soon release an improved version,” Google said in a statement.

    Although Google did not refer to specific images in its statement, examples of Gemini image results were widely available on X, accompanied by comments on AI’s issues with accuracy and bias. A former Google employee highlighted the difficulty in getting Google Gemini to recognize the existence of white people.

    Jack Krawczyk, a senior director on Google’s Gemini team, admitted that the model’s image generator needed adjustments. “We are working to immediately improve these kinds of depictions,” he said. Krawczyk added that while Gemini’s AI image generation does produce a wide range of people, which is generally a good thing given its global user base, “it’s clear we missed the mark here.”

    Coverage of bias in AI has highlighted numerous examples of negative impact on people of color, including a Washington Post investigation that showed examples of image generators showing bias against people of color and sexism. Andrew Rogoyski, from the Institute for People-Centered AI at the University of Surrey, commented that mitigating bias is a “difficult problem in most fields of deep learning and generative AI,” but it is likely that things will improve over time through research and various approaches to eliminating bias.

    In conclusion, Google’s pause in generating images of people with Gemini underscores the importance of addressing and correcting bias in artificial intelligence, highlighting the need for constant attention to issues of fairness and inclusion in emerging technologies.

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