Topic: pilot program

  • Google Ads guide clarifies corporate email policy

    Google Ads guide clarifies corporate email policy

    Google is testing a requirement that blocks users with free email domains (like Gmail or Yahoo) from performing sensitive actions in Google Ads, such as modifying user access or updating account links, though routine campaign edits remain available. Advertisers should switch to a corporate email-...

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  • Google launches secure API pilot for manager accounts

    Google launches secure API pilot for manager accounts

    Google is piloting a new security layer for the Google Ads API that lets manager account owners restrict sensitive operations,like account management, user admin, and billing,to an allowlist of pre-approved applications. Participants must submit their top-level manager account ID, after which Goo...

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  • Google’s AI Search Data Grows, But Gaps Persist

    Google’s AI Search Data Grows, But Gaps Persist

    Google launched a pilot program called "AI performance insights" in Merchant Center, showing merchants how their brands surface in AI Mode and AI Overviews by grouping shopping questions into themes like product terms and query types, rather than displaying individual queries. The report provides...

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  • Google Direct Offers adds AI bundles, native checkout, travel deals

    Google Direct Offers adds AI bundles, native checkout, travel deals

    Google announced upgrades to its Direct Offers pilot program at Google Marketing Live 2026, including AI-driven promotion formats, native checkout via the Universal Commerce Protocol, and travel-specific deals. The system uses Gemini to automatically generate personalized offers like discounts, b...

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  • Aurora to run driverless truck routes in Texas via McLane deal

    Aurora to run driverless truck routes in Texas via McLane deal

    Aurora Innovation launched its first commercial driverless truck routes for McLane, hauling freight between Dallas and Houston using Level 4 autonomous technology, though a human observer still rides in the cab. The company plans to expand driverless service to additional Sun Belt routes by year-...

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  • ChatGPT Ads Now Appear for Logged-Out Users

    ChatGPT Ads Now Appear for Logged-Out Users

    OpenAI has started displaying advertisements within chat responses for logged-out users, embedding them directly into conversation threads without a formal announcement. This expansion increases ad inventory to meet strong advertiser demand, as early pilot programs faced budget-spending challenge...

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  • Humble Raises $24M for Driverless Electric Truck

    Humble Raises $24M for Driverless Electric Truck

    San Francisco startup Humble has raised $24 million to develop a cabless, electric autonomous truck, the Hauler, which reimagines truck design for full autonomy and increased efficiency. The company's key differentiator is a dock-to-dock delivery model, aiming for true end-to-end autonomy using a...

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  • Sam Altman's Orb: Dating Advice or Tech Trend?

    Sam Altman's Orb: Dating Advice or Tech Trend?

    A new identity verification system, powered by World and requiring an in-person facial scan via a physical orb device, offers users perks like five free boosts on Tinder for proving they are a real person. The system creates a World ID that grants a verified human badge on Tinder and is expanding...

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  • Waymo Maps Potholes for Waze Users

    Waymo Maps Potholes for Waze Users

    A new pilot program uses Waymo's autonomous vehicles to automatically detect road hazards like potholes and shares this data directly with cities via a free Waze platform, starting in five major U.S. metropolitan areas. The initiative aims to provide governments with actionable data to prioritize...

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  • Uber and WeRide Expand Robotaxi Services in Dubai

    Uber and WeRide Expand Robotaxi Services in Dubai

    Uber and WeRide have launched a fully driverless robotaxi service in Dubai, operating commercially without a human safety driver via the Uber app. The service, which follows a pilot program from last year, covers key commercial, industrial, and suburban areas in Dubai and is part of a broader par...

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  • Amazon Buys Rivr, Maker of Stair-Climbing Delivery Robots

    Amazon Buys Rivr, Maker of Stair-Climbing Delivery Robots

    Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Swiss robotics company, to address the "last-mile" delivery challenge by using its autonomous robots that can navigate stairs to reach doorsteps directly. Rivr's CEO stated the acquisition will accelerate their vision of "General Physical AI," leveraging Amazon's resou...

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  • YouTube Expands AI Deepfake Detection to Politicians & Journalists

    YouTube Expands AI Deepfake Detection to Politicians & Journalists

    YouTube is expanding a pilot program that provides journalists, government officials, and political candidates with AI tools to detect and request removal of unauthorized deepfake videos that replicate their likeness. The platform will evaluate each removal request under its privacy guidelines, b...

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  • Waymo Launches SFO Passenger Rides, But Not to Terminals

    Waymo Launches SFO Passenger Rides, But Not to Terminals

    Waymo has launched its commercial autonomous ride-hailing service to and from San Francisco International Airport, starting with a select user group before a wider rollout. Initial airport trips will use the SFO Rental Car Center instead of main terminals, allowing officials to monitor integratio...

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  • AI Now Writing Prescription Refills in Utah

    AI Now Writing Prescription Refills in Utah

    Utah is piloting a program allowing an AI chatbot to manage prescription refills without direct, immediate physician oversight, operating under a temporary regulatory suspension framework. The AI chatbot from Doctronic serves as the mandatory first contact for patients and, in a company analysis,...

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  • Google Tests AI-Powered Article Summaries in Google News

    Google Tests AI-Powered Article Summaries in Google News

    Google is piloting AI-generated article overviews on select publishers' Google News pages, aiming to provide immediate story context while acknowledging potential traffic impacts. Participating major publishers, including The Guardian and The Washington Post, are receiving direct payments from Go...

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  • NCSC Alerts Orgs to Vulnerabilities in Exposed Devices

    NCSC Alerts Orgs to Vulnerabilities in Exposed Devices

    The UK's National Cyber Security Center has launched a **Proactive Notifications service** pilot, which scans the public internet for vulnerabilities in UK-connected systems and alerts organizations with tailored advice to fix them. The service operates legally and sends communications only from ...

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  • Google's "Journey Aware Bidding" Tests Boost Search Campaigns

    Google's "Journey Aware Bidding" Tests Boost Search Campaigns

    Google is developing Journey Aware Bidding, a Search model that enhances predictions and performance by analyzing the entire customer journey, not just the final conversion event. Advertisers should map out all user journey stages, categorize touchpoints as conversions, and ensure accurate tracki...

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  • Uber Tests In-App Video Recording for Drivers in India

    Uber Tests In-App Video Recording for Drivers in India

    Uber has launched a pilot program in India introducing an in-app video recording feature for drivers to enhance safety and document incidents, addressing concerns over false passenger complaints. The feature is currently active in ten major Indian cities, with recordings being double-encrypted, s...

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  • Airbnb Tests Instacart Grocery Delivery for Guests

    Airbnb Tests Instacart Grocery Delivery for Guests

    Airbnb is piloting a grocery delivery service with Instacart, allowing guests to order groceries through the Airbnb platform before and during their trips to enhance convenience. The trial will launch in select U.S. cities—Phoenix, Orlando, and Los Angeles—with hosts earning incentives for storin...

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  • Samsung Puts Ads on Its $1,900+ Refrigerators

    Samsung Puts Ads on Its $1,900+ Refrigerators

    Samsung is introducing advertisements to the display screens of its high-end Family Hub refrigerators via a new software update, which will show promotional content when the appliance is not in active use. Users can opt out of the ads through the Settings menu, but doing so disables all other wid...

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