When ChatGPT stumbles over Google – and it still turns into a race

Dear Readers,

Sometimes power is most evident in its dependencies: OpenAI wants to challenge Google in the search business – and at the same time uses Google's data to keep ChatGPT running. This paradoxical situation is more than just a technical trick; it raises the question of who we will trust to control the flow of information on the internet in the future – and what will happen when the cards are reshuffled.

In this issue, we take a look at the explosive intersection of technology, politics, and trust: from OpenAI's covert use of Google's search data to the growing conflicts between the US and the EU over data protection to the power struggles over AI liability rules in Colorado. We also have new figures from California that show how trust in Big Tech is shifting. Each of these developments points in the same direction: AI is no longer a technical fringe issue, but a core policy issue. Read on – it's worth it.

In Today’s Issue:

All the best,

OpenAI finds itself in a paradoxical situation: while the company is trying to challenge Google in the search engine business, it is simultaneously using data from Google's search engine. Research shows that OpenAI uses the provider SerpAPI to access Google search results in order to supply ChatGPT with up-to-date information on topics such as politics, sports, and financial markets. Google itself has built in technical hurdles, but has so far refrained from taking legal action, probably also because of the ongoing antitrust proceedings in which a judge has already indicated that Google could be forced to open up its search data. Particularly controversial is that outside developers have been able to prove that ChatGPT has taken Google's characteristic snippets for certain queries – a clear sign that Google's data plays a central role in the background.

This is a remarkable moment for the AI community: it highlights how heavily AI systems depend on external data sources to remain competitive. At the same time, it shows that technological innovation is always a legal and political minefield. The question remains whether OpenAI will make the leap to an independent search infrastructure or remain permanently dependent on Google.

Why it matters: Because this conflict clarifies the question of power over who controls the flow of information on the internet. And because it shows that current AI would be little more than a fancy facade without access to Google's data.

Sources:

🔗 https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-challenging-google-using-search-data?rc=bfliih

🔗 https://www.shopifreaks.com/openai-taps-google-search-data-to-power-chatgpt/

🔗 https://www.phonearena.com/news/openai-to-challenge-google-chrome-by-redefining-internet-search_id172204?utm_source=chatgpt.com

How do you follow record-setting success? Get stronger. Take Pacaso. Their real estate co-ownership tech set records in Paris and London in 2024. No surprise. Coldwell Banker says 40% of wealthy Americans plan to buy abroad within a year. So adding 10+ new international destinations, including three in Italy, is big. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Invest for $2.90/Share

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

Due to overwhelming investor demand, Anthropic is reportedly nearing a deal to raise up to $10 billion in its latest funding round, doubling the initial target of $5 billion.

BiomedArena focuses on real-world biomedical workflows, from literature review to disease modeling, using open, reproducible methods trusted by scientists.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned American tech companies that anyone who adapts their data protection rules in such a way that they conflict with EU or UK requirements risks trouble in the US. Behind this lies a geopolitical power struggle over whose standards will ultimately apply worldwide. In the long term, there is a risk of fragmentation of rules, forcing companies to move in different directions.

In the US state of Colorado, tough negotiations are underway on how strictly AI should be regulated. Two bills are pitted against each other: one with clear liability rules and transparency requirements, the other with a softer consumer protection approach. Republicans want to roll back parts of the regulations. The outcome could become a model for other states.

A new survey shows that Republicans in California now trust tech companies almost as much as the federal government to regulate AI. This is remarkable because this group has long been very critical of Big Tech. It could make it easier for regulation to shift toward the industry.

Exploring how AI is reshaping politics, policy, or governance? We’re featuring sharp analysis and research on the intersection of AI and political systems in Superintelligence, read by 200k+ people.

If you have significant comments on AI and politics (unemployment, geopolitics, proposed legislation) and would like to have this discussion presented in the newsletter, get in touch via a brief summary to [email protected] with the subject line “Politics Submission”. We’ll reach out if your work is a fit for a future issue.

Keeping up with AI is hard – we get it!

That’s why over 1M professionals read Superhuman AI to stay ahead.

Sign up and start mastering AI

The tension between OpenAI and Meta continues to escalate, as can be seen from recent comments sections.