As Twitter Fades to X, TikTok Steps Up with New Text-based Posts

 
FILE - A visitor passes the TikTok exhibition stand at the Gamescom computer gaming fair in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
FILE - A visitor passes the TikTok exhibition stand at the Gamescom computer gaming fair in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
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As Twitter Fades to X, TikTok Steps Up with New Text-based Posts

 
FILE - A visitor passes the TikTok exhibition stand at the Gamescom computer gaming fair in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
FILE - A visitor passes the TikTok exhibition stand at the Gamescom computer gaming fair in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

The same day Elon Musk abruptly dropped Twitter’s name and bird logo as part of its supposed transition to an “anything app” called X, TikTok impishly announced it will begin letting its users post — you guessed it — text-based messages.
The popular Chinese-owned app, best known for lip-synced dances, often farcical “challenges” and other short videos, didn’t offer much explanation for the new feature. It did note in a statement that the service is “expanding the boundaries of content creation” by showcasing the written creativity users have previously had to share via comments and video captions, The Associated Press said.
TikTok announced the new feature late Monday.
It wasn't clear to what extent users have embraced text posts in their first full day of availability. That's partly because searching on variations of the term “text post” largely turned up examples of a popular video genre — those focused on text message phone conversations, typically selected for humorous effect. There were also a few brave users offering video explanations on how to make text posts.



ChatGPT Adds Shopping Help, Intensifying Google Rivalry

FILED - 18 April 2023, Berlin: On the monitor of a cell phone you can see the ChatGPT logo. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa
FILED - 18 April 2023, Berlin: On the monitor of a cell phone you can see the ChatGPT logo. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa
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ChatGPT Adds Shopping Help, Intensifying Google Rivalry

FILED - 18 April 2023, Berlin: On the monitor of a cell phone you can see the ChatGPT logo. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa
FILED - 18 April 2023, Berlin: On the monitor of a cell phone you can see the ChatGPT logo. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa

OpenAI announced Monday that ChatGPT is now helping users find products online, enhancing its challenge to Google amid regulatory pressure on the search giant's market dominance.

The new shopping capability further blurs the line between AI chatbots and search engines, signaling OpenAI's ambition to compete with Google in a market the latter has controlled for decades.

"Search has become one of our most popular and fastest growing features, with over 1 billion web searches just in the past week," the San Francisco-based company said in a post on X.

Rolled out on Monday, the update allows shoppers to find and compare items through natural conversation, then connect directly to merchants for purchases.

"Instead of scrolling through pages of results, you can simply start a conversation," OpenAI's post said, adding that users could also ask follow-up questions or compare products.

ChatGPT's shopping feature initially focuses on fashion, beauty, and home electronics categories. Product recommendations are personalized and come from the web, not advertisements, OpenAI said.

To counter increasing competition from AI chatbots, Google has integrated its own Gemini assistant into search results, providing AI-generated answers above traditional website links.

The rivalry intensified last week when an OpenAI executive testified the company would consider purchasing Chrome if Google were forced to sell the browser as part of an ongoing US antitrust case.