Olive oil java or ChatGPTea?: NL #132

SEO who?

It’s only been a few months since the ChatGPT roll-out, but it’s safe to say that the generative AI phenom has become THE talk of the town.

It’s easy to see why. The implications of this growing sector of smart tech are huge, but especially if you’re out there trying to expand your brand’s digital presence through SEO-driven stories and content. The world of online publishing is a’ changin,’ folks.

Since generated content doesn’t require click throughs to access information or stories, publishers are anticipating some significant shifts in the volume of search traffic overall. In other words, if you use page views as one of your primary metrics of success, you may need to shift your strategy.

Lifestyle publishers like Bustle Digital Group are already funneling their resources away from SEO-based stories and “investing in more original visual content, interviews, profiles and feature stories,” because, afterall, “a chatbot can’t ‘try on jeans’”. Ain’t that the truth.

Then you have the Leaf Group, who’s home design site Hunker will shift their editorial focus toward content that can’t be replicated by AI, while spotlighting pieces that center writers’ unique points of view and experiences.

If you ask me, deemphasizing SEO as the gold standard of performance metrics has been a long time coming. Numbers and clicks are important, but so is community building. And you can’t do that without telling compelling—and distinctly human—stories.

I’m excited to see how brands can integrate AI in their own creative process–from research and synthesis, to brainstorming and drafting copy—to support a team of real humans with a real vision. Coke is one of the first brands out of the gate to partner with OpenAI to innovate new ways to execute its marketing strategy. I’m sure we’ll see many more in the near future.

My hope for the generative AI wave is that it’s just another helpful step towards automation. Brands still get to create their own value–which no matter how advanced AI gets–will always require a distinctly human vision.

Top Stories

Google vs. the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court heard arguments for two cases whose outcomes have the potential to upend the internet as we know it.

The cases brought against YouTube (a Google-owned company) and Twitter question specifically whether the tech giants should be liable for recommending extreme content that ultimately led to violence and loss of life under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Since 1996, Section 230, which is arguably, “the most important legal provision in the history of the internet,” has safeguarded companies from being responsible for content that other users post. But Gonzalez vs. Google argues that the law does not account for the use of algorithms to sort and recommend content to certain users.

As you can imagine, the implications of such a decision are monumental and could affect everything from restaurant reviews to app development to likes and retweets—not to mention the entire mechanism that powers the algorithms we use every day.

The weight of the decision is not lost on the justices, who, like their legislative counterparts in Congress, are not predictably divided in opinion across party lines. In the meantime, we’ll be left in limbo until the court hands down judgements, which aren’t slated until this summer.

Who knew the internet would cause so many problems? 🙃

Snapchat releases ‘My AI’

This week’s installment of generative AI’s meteoric rise is all about Snapchat.

The popular social app rolled out its own ChatGPT-powered AI persona, “My AI,” to their 2+ million Snapchat+ subscribers last week. The release comes right on the heels of Microsoft’s clunky introduction of its new ChatGPT-boosted Bing. (Which could be why Snapchat pre-apologized for the hiccups that, without a doubt, will happen.)

As for the feature itself, My AI is a pretty basic iteration of ChatGPT’s overall capabilities, and that’s on purpose. With a younger user base to consider (75% of 13-34 year olds in over 20 countries have accounts), the bot has been trained to avoid inappropriate and harmful topics and even steers clear of politics. It can’t be coerced (yet) to cheat on tests or write academic papers, which I’m sure teachers everywhere will appreciate.

So what can My AI actually do for you? It can “recommend birthday gift ideas for your BFF, plan a hiking trip for a long weekend, suggest a recipe for dinner, or even write a haiku about cheese for your cheddar-obsessed pal,” according to Snapchat. Think of it as another friend to brainstorm with rather than a search engine to train.

Users can name their chatbot and customize the wallpaper to their liking. Although only Plus users have access to the feature (paying $3.99 a month), My AI will eventually become available to all Snapchatters once the kinks are worked out. Happy snapping, kids.

Best of the Week

Stats to see

Gen Z wants more neighborhood vibes, please. 65% say they feel more comfortable online with community-focused apps.

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Weekly tunes

March is here and so is her playlist.

More News from the Week.

• Google docs are getting a micro glow-up.
• The results of the four day work-week trials are in, and (spoiler alert) everyone’s a fan.
• Polish cat, Polish cat, what are they feeding you?
• In a galaxy far, far away . . . The James Webb Telescope is making even more jaw-dropping cosmic discoveries.
• The new Mediterranean diet? Starbucks is experimenting with olive-oil infused coffee.

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