In this week’s digital news, publishers are losing Google organic search traffic, but breaking news traffic jumped 103% and Discover clicks are surging. Meta will be adding new location fees to ads delivered in specific regions in order to cover Digital Service Taxes and other location-based fees imposed in some jurisdictions.
A senior Google executive says the company is “not ruling out” ads in its Gemini AI app, a notable reversal from denials made just months ago. Ask Maps, a new AI-powered conversational Google Map feature, lets users ask get personalised recommendations directly on the map.
Google AI Overviews slash search clicks by 42%
Google Maps launches ‘Ask Maps’ for conversational discovery
Google Maps gets its biggest navigation redesign in a decade
Google Maps has implemented a feature called Ask Maps that helps users plan trips and answers complex questions about locations. Powered by Gemini, it is accessible via a button up near the search bar. It works like a chatbot, so users can send follow-up prompts to refine and expand on its suggestions. Ask Maps is rolling out now in the US and India, but only on Android and iOS. Web support will come later.
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Meta delays their AI rollout due to performance concerns
Meta’s new foundational AI model, Avocado, has fallen short on internal tests for reason, coding, and writing. It is not performing as strongly as the leading AI models from rivals like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. The model’s release will be delayed until at least May while Meta works on improving it. Meta’s leaders are already thinking about the next AI model, which will be named Watermelon.
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