The logo of Google is displayed on a carpet at the entrance hall of Google France in Paris, on Nov. 18, 2019. Google said Friday, jan. 20, 2023, it’s laying off 12,000 workers, becoming the latest tech company to trim staff after rapid expansions during the COVID-19 pandemic have worn off. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
At its annual health event on Tuesday, Google announced a series of changes to its search tool that it said will make it easier to access information about affordable health care services.
For example, the company will move affordable local health care options to the top of its search queries. It will also use a conversational artificial intelligence technology called Duplex to verify information from providers and check whether they accept state Medicaid plans.
"People come to Google with health-related questions hundreds of millions of times a day," the company said in a press release. "They also turn to YouTube, where videos about health conditions were viewed more than 110 billion times globally in 2021."
In the near term, Google will also make it easier for users to find information through search about Medicaid re-enrollment, which is due by the end of March.
The other big announcement from the event was the launch of Open Health Stack, an open-source tool kit for software developers in the health care space. The goal is for developers to create new apps making it easier for health care workers to access patient information.
"Digital health solutions built to date have focused on solving for single, disease-focused conditions, leading to data silos and making it difficult for healthcare workers to access the patient information they need," the company said.
The Open Health Stack is designed to help developers break out of these silos and share best practices.
Finally, the tech giant said it is developing a model for automatically outlining and contouring organs on CT scans, while limiting exposure to radiation.
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
