In 1996 AD NSW joined Canberra on the Internet - Media Dragons and Web publishers brace for carnage as Google adds AI answers

Louise Dodson Nov 5, 1996 NSW joins Canberra on the Internet 

The NSW Parliament has now joined the Federal Parliament with a range of parliamentary information available on the Internet. However, the NSW Parliament World Wide Web site will provide the most comprehensive information. 

It includes explanations about the operations, procedures and legislative processes in NSW, historical information, biographical information about all the ministers and members, daily Hansards, business papers, bills before the House and daily "whats on" information for both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. 

"The development of this site gives the people of NSW unprecedented access to information about the workings of democracy in this State," the president of the Legislative Council, Mr Max Willis, said. 

The speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mr John Murray, promised it would be updated daily.

"This will be a valuable education and business resource," he said. The NSW Public Accounts Committee's Mr Jozef Imrich said the Web technology gives users the opportunity to bring government within easy reach of people irrespective of geographic barriers. 

In the United States, the Government has developed an Interactive Citizen's Handbook, as an electronic guide through government agencies and departments to bring a new "town hall-style democracy" to the people. 

The versatile Internet is also being used for telemedicine services.Australian medical technology company, Micromedical Industries, is using advanced Internet technologies for accessing doctors via a modem. 

For instance, the Internet can be used for a heart check-up by uploading one's ECG to a central server. Mr Peter Ludemann, the chairman of Micromedical Industries, said: "We have paved the way for a system which is accessible to remote communities, the home bound or even the world's fitness enthusiasts who want access to online medical expertise."

 Washington Post [Web publishers brace for carnage as Google adds AI answers Washington Post read free via MSN]: “As the tech giant gears up for Google I/O, its annual developer conference, this week, creators like Matherne are worried about the expanding reach of its new search tool that incorporates artificial intelligence. 

The product, dubbed “Search Generative Experience,” or SGE, directly answers queries with complex, multi-paragraph replies that push links to other websites further down the page, where they’re less likely to be seen. The shift stands to shake the very foundations of the web. The rollout threatens the survival of the millions of creators and publishers who rely on the service for traffic. 

Some experts argue the addition of AI will boost the tech giant’s already tight grip on the internet, ultimately ushering in a system where information is provided by just a handful of large companies. “Their goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to find the information they want,” Matherne said. “But if you cut out the people who are the lifeblood of creating that information — that have the real human connection to it — then that’s a disservice to the world.” Google calls its AI answers “overviews” but they often just paraphrase directly from websites. 

One search for how to fix a leaky toilet provided an AI answer with several tips including tightening tank bolts. At the bottom of the answer, Google linked to The Spruce, a home improvement and gardening website owned by web publisher Dotdash Meredith, which also owns Investopedia and Travel and Leisure. Google’s AI tips lifted a phrase from the Spruce’s article word-for-word…”

NPR: “The USDA’s gardening zones shifted. This map shows you what’s changed in vivid detail Recently, the USDA updated its plant hardiness map for the first time in 11 years. If you’re a gardener — and everybody can be a gardener, even on a balcony or a stoop — this is a big deal! The updated map opens up new possibilities for home gardeners, but there are limits. Let’s explore how the map has changed and what this means for your garden…”

NPR A visual comparison of USDA gardening zones from 1976 to 2020