Eric Schmidt, the chairman of Google and soon-to-be Alphabet, has written an op-ed piece for the BBC that looks at artificial intelligence, extolling the virtues of what he sees as the next leap in computing.
Much of Google's focus as a company has shifted to artificial intelligence, with projects such as Google Now embodying the company's aim of using a computer to work out what humans need and want — hopefully before even they know.
One area that Schmidt claims computers are superior is music, an area that Apple recentlyentered with Music and Google has long been involved in.
Schmidt takes an obvious shot at Apple, claiming that the way the company runs Music — employing real DJs who curate what is heard — is the technology of a decade ago.
Here's the relevant passage:
To give just one example: a decade ago, to launch a digital music service, you probably would have enlisted a handful of elite taste-makers to pick the hottest new music.
Today, you’re much better off building a smart system that can learn from the real world – what actual listeners are most likely to like next – and help you predict who and where the next Adele might be.
As a bonus, it’s a much less elitist taste-making process – much more democratic – allowing everyone to discover the next big star through our own collective tastes and not through the individual preferences of a select few.
While Apple Music is doing well — according to the company the service has over 11 million users — there are still questions that surround whether having real-life DJs works as a strategy, or whether users like to have songs recommended to them by a computer.
On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.
