Infinite Scroll
Is Google S.E.O. Gaslighting the Internet?
Leaked documents provide a glimpse into the inner workings of Google Search—and contradict the company’s public claims.
By Kyle Chayka
Infinite Scroll
Faux ScarJo and the Descent of the A.I. Vultures
OpenAI’s snafu over its “Her”-like voice assistant might be funny if it didn’t portend a larger crisis in the integrity of digital information.
By Kyle Chayka
The New Yorker Radio Hour
Will the Government Put the Reins on Amazon?
The tech giant is a monopoly that harms consumers and merchants, according to a federal lawsuit. Plus, the director Emerald Fennell discusses her latest film, “Saltburn.”
Annals of Artificial Intelligence
How Will A.I. Learn Next?
As chatbots threaten their own best sources of data, they will have to find new kinds of knowledge.
By James Somers
Infinite Scroll
Bing A.I. and the Dawn of the Post-Search Internet
So much of the current Web was designed around aggregation. What value will legacy sites have when bots can do the aggregation for us?
By Kyle Chayka
Infinite Scroll
The Supreme Court Probably Won’t Break the Internet—At Least for Now
In Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh, the Court considers whether the Web’s most foundational law still makes sense.
By Kyle Chayka
Annals of Technology
The World-Changing Race to Develop the Quantum Computer
Such a device could help address climate change and food scarcity, or break the Internet. Will the U.S. or China get there first?
By Stephen Witt
Q. & A.
Google’s Caste-Bias Problem
A talk about bigotry was cancelled amid accusations of reverse discrimination. Whom was the company trying to protect?
By Isaac Chotiner
Infinite Scroll
What Google Search Isn’t Showing You
The search engine has made up so much of our online experience for so long that it can be hard to imagine something better.
By Kyle Chayka
Our Local Correspondents
Google’s New Manhattan Groundscraper Bets on the Future of the Office
The company’s purchase of St. John’s Terminal for $2.1 billion is the biggest single-building commercial-real-estate deal in the city since the pandemic began.
By Eric Lach
Shouts & Murmurs
Benjamin Franklin’s Google Search History from June, 1752
June 9th, 12:17 P.M. “Could lightning strike make man very handsome?”
By Maeve Dunigan
Rabbit Holes
The Oddly Addictive Quality of Google Alerts
The imperfect, scattershot search tool delivers just enough usefulness and serendipity to keep one hooked.
By Casey Cep
Cultural Comment
The Chatbot Problem
As we teach computers to use natural language, we are bumping into the inescapable biases of human communication.
By Stephen Marche
Shouts & Murmurs
How to Turn Off Location Tracking (Updated)
On your smartphone, go to “Settings.” Scroll down to Google Maps. Beneath that is a secret category that only a pure-hearted child can see.
By Claire Friedman
Currency
What’s Next for the Campaign to Break Up Big Tech?
A judge recently dismissed two antitrust cases against Facebook. But what appeared to be a setback for the effort may actually provide a road map for how it can succeed.
By Sheelah Kolhatkar
Rabbit Holes
The Pandemic-Induced Popularity of Google Street View
At a time when we have been staring out windows at the same stretch of street, it can be cathartic to get dropped on another patch of road—somewhere else, but not so different after all.
By Sophie Haigney
Annals of Technology
What Can America Learn from Europe About Regulating Big Tech?
When the Dutch politician Marietje Schaake arrived in Silicon Valley, she realized just how bizarre American thinking about the industry had become.
By Nick Romeo
Shouts & Murmurs
Things I’ve Googled Recently
“Can eating too much banana bread cause potassium hangover,” “Historical origin of bangs,” and other searches.
By Kathryn Kvas and Irving Ruan
Q. & A.
A Former Google Executive Calls for a New Emphasis on Human Rights
Ross LaJeunesse, who is running for the U.S. Senate, discusses how Big Tech companies have changed over the past decade and how they should deal with authoritarian governments.
By Isaac Chotiner
Shouts & Murmurs
Holiday Google Searches: A Comprehensive Log
7:09 P.M. “What can I give my partner as a thank you for somehow locating a buche de noel at 7 P.M. in a small town not a sex thing”
By Shannon Reed