The ABC of AI, Wikipedia AI spam, Wordpress drama, SEO latest and Wayback is back

It's all go with Content Aware bumper issue, featuring NY Times, Perplexity, Barry Adams, Meta, Google of course, Semrush, and the UK's Online Safety Act kicking into gear (finally).

Published: 19:13, 17 October 2024

ABC explores AI Magic: transforming podcast titles and descriptions
Australian podcasting leader ABC tested Microsoft's AI Copilot to enhance podcast titles and descriptions. Corbidge comments on the trials mixed results.
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NYT vs AI 2.0
The New York Times is the lead actor in what is arguably the highest profile AI litigation so far: NYT vs OpenAI, for unauthorised content scraping. Rival AI firm Perplexity is being let off lightly then, some would say, after the publication issued it with a cease and desist letter for, it alleges, copyright infringement by Perplexity's AI tools. It has to the end of the month to do something about it.
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A sceptic's perspective on AI
Yann LeCun, chief AI scientist at Meta, is a prominent sceptic of claims that current AI models are nearing human-level intelligence. Contrary to the fears of many that untrammelled AI is "1,000 days away" or similar, LeCun argues that today’s AIs are not genuinely intelligent, don't really understand much at all, and don't need to be treated like a weapon which is about to go off. We agree.
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The rising tide of Wikipedia's AI content
AI-generated content is infiltrating all sectors of the internet: now it's Wikipedia's turn. The content is often showing lower quality and bias on controversial topics, and it goes without saying that it raises concerns about accountability, accuracy, and bias on a site that is generally at the upper ends of the public trust spectrum.
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Google goes nuclear
Google has signed an agreement to use small nuclear reactors for its AI data centres, the latest in a trend in Big Tech to find reliable, carbon-free, and cheaper energy. Unsurprisingly the plan requires regulatory approval, and of course there are concerns about safety and radioactive waste.
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WordPress snags ACF Plugin, more drama ensues
WordPress.org has taken over the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, rebranding it as "Secure Custom Fields" in order to address a security issue and eliminate commercial upsells. Co-founder Matt Mullenweg invoked the right to modify plugins without dev consent, while WP Engine, the original owner of ACF, criticized the move. Whether you're on Mullenwegs side or WP Engines, this move certainly creates a mix or caution and intrigue. No such drama here at Glide where our super powerful Custom Data is safe and sound from handbags and the Succession like scheming and histrionics.
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SEO sage on structured data and schema markup
Barry Adams, the SEO guru, gives some insight on the crucial role of structured data and schema markup in enhancing news SEO.
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Lily Ray on LinkedIn, AIO and SEO
AI Overviews are becoming more common, however a significant concern is the frequent citation of LinkedIn, especially its Pulse articles. It goes without saying that this can be seen as a sign of bias and raise questions about fairness, because on the other hand, sites impacted by Google's 2023 Helpful Content Update appear excluded.
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Semrush swallows Third Door Media
Semrush has acquired Third Door Media, including Search Engine Land and other publications, with the aim to enhance resources for marketers. This signifies a significant industry shift since it could enhance content and resources available to marketers but also highlight concerns about maintaining independent editorial voices amid such acquisitions. The SEO world has not responded kindly to this acquisition.
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New Safety Act causes a social media shake-up
The UK's Online Safety Act brings major changes to the social media game starting next year. Ofcom's CEO emphasized that platforms must improve user protection as well as remove illegal content, which could inadvertently increase scrutiny on content moderation and potential fines. Social media companies will feel the weight of responsibility from next year if all goes well. Read

The digital time capsule returns!
The Internet Archive has partially restored its Wayback Machine in read-only mode after DDoS attacks and a data breach affected 31 million users. The entire situation calls for further maintenance, but also highlight the need for additional, robust cybersecurity measures if we want to preserve digital archives.
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