Meta Develops Own AI Search Engine to Cut Reliance on Google, Bing, the Information Reports

The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP)
The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP)
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Meta Develops Own AI Search Engine to Cut Reliance on Google, Bing, the Information Reports

The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP)
The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP)

Meta Platforms is working on an artificial intelligence-based search engine as it looks to reduce dependence on Alphabet's Google and Microsoft's Bing, the Information reported on Monday.
The AI search engine segment is heating up with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, Google and Microsoft all vying for dominance in the rapidly evolving market, according to Reuters.
Meta's web crawler will provide conversational answers to users about current events on Meta AI, the company's chatbot on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, according to the report, which cited a person involved with the strategy.
The Facebook-owner currently relies on Google and Bing search engines to give users answers on news, stocks and sports.
Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Google is aggressively integrating its latest and most powerful AI model, Gemini, into core products like Search, aiming to deliver more conversational and intuitive search experiences.
OpenAI relies on its largest investor, Microsoft, for web access to answer topical queries, using its Bing search engine.
Scraping web data to train AI models and search engines, however, has raised concerns about copyright infringement and fair compensation for content creators.



Apple iPhone 16 Sales Blocked in Indonesia Due to Local Parts Rule

The iPhone 16 Pro is seen at an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, September 9, 2024. (Reuters)
The iPhone 16 Pro is seen at an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, September 9, 2024. (Reuters)
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Apple iPhone 16 Sales Blocked in Indonesia Due to Local Parts Rule

The iPhone 16 Pro is seen at an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, September 9, 2024. (Reuters)
The iPhone 16 Pro is seen at an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, September 9, 2024. (Reuters)

Tech giant Apple Inc will not be allowed to sell its iPhone 16 smartphones in Indonesia because they have not met the country's rules on the use of locally made components, the industry ministry said.
Indonesia requires certain smartphones sold domestically to contain at least 40% of parts manufactured locally and the iPhone 16 has not met the requirement, ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief said in a statement issued on Friday.
"Imported iPhone 16 hardwares cannot be marketed in the country, because Apple Indonesia has not fulfilled its investment commitment to earn a local content certification," he said, adding that the phones can still be brought from abroad for personal use as long as users pay the necessary taxes.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters said.
The company's iPhone 16 phones were first released in September.
The top two smartphone makers in the first quarter of 2024 in Indonesia were Chinese firm OPPO and South Korean firm Samsung, research firm IDC said in May.
Indonesia has a huge, tech-savvy population, making the Southeast Asian nation a key target market for tech-related investment.
During a visit by Apple's CEO Tim Cook to Indonesia last April, Indonesia's Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said he hoped the tech giant would increase its local content by partnering with domestic firms.
Companies usually increase the domestic requirement through such local partnerships or by sourcing parts domestically.
Apple has no manufacturing facilities in Indonesia, but since 2018 it has been setting up app developer academies, which including the new academy have a total cost of 1.6 trillion rupiah ($101.8 million).