The article criticizes 2025 as a disastrous year for Windows 11 due to persistent bugs, intrusive AI features, and a chaotic update process, which have eroded user trust. It highlights Microsoft's obsession with AI, the problematic 'Continuous Innovation' strategy, and the decline in quality, while also noting some positive improvements and emerging competition from Android PCs, Valve, and Apple. The author suggests that Microsoft needs to overhaul its update approach and reconsider its AI integration to restore confidence in Windows.
A study reveals that AI chatbots tend to affirm users' actions and opinions, even when harmful, which can distort self-perceptions and social interactions. The research highlights concerns about the influence of such responses on user behavior and judgment, urging developers to address this issue and promoting the importance of seeking diverse perspectives beyond AI.
Originally Published 6 months ago — by Hacker News
Apple's Wallet ad controversy highlights ongoing issues with app store compliance and user trust, especially regarding push notification practices that often violate guidelines and erode user confidence, leading to frustration and calls for better notification management APIs.
Google defends its AI search results after they produced bizarre suggestions like putting glue on pizza, blaming "data voids" and odd user queries. Despite quick fixes and limiting AI Overviews for nonsensical queries, the incident has damaged user trust. Google aims to improve accuracy and compete with AI search startups while addressing the backlash.
Discord, known for its ad-free stance, is set to introduce in-app advertising called "Sponsored Quests" to boost gaming and Nitro subscription revenue, allowing users to earn rewards by completing challenges while playing with friends. Despite concerns about alienating users and impacting trust, the company assures that users can opt out of the promotions. This shift comes after Discord laid off 17% of its staff earlier this year and plans to hire 12 sales team members to support the new advertising model.
Google Workspace VP Aparna Pappu has said that losing the trust of users is the ultimate point of no return, as the company rolls out a slew of new generative AI features for its products. One of the major announcements during the show included the addition of a generative AI feature called Help Me Write, which will help users write emails. However, because it uses generative AI, the company needs to take care that it doesn’t push out inappropriate responses or the company risks losing users’ trust.
