News in brief: Google Drops Vow Against Using AI for Harm and Prepares for More AI Search Updates; Snap’s Active Advertisers Double; Instagram and YouTube See Drops in Average Views per Video

Google Drops Vow Against Using AI for Harm and Prepares for More AI Search Updates

Google parent company Alphabet has dropped its guideline which vows not to use AI for purposes which could “cause or are likely to cause harm”. The update to its ethical guidelines means the tech giant is no longer explicitly opposed to developing AI with purposes such as surveillance or arms. Meanwhile, during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday, CEO Sundar Pichai said that 2025 would be the “one of the biggest years for search innovation yet”. He discussed the next phase of Google’s plan to further enhance Search with AI features from the company’s research lab, DeepMind. The earnings call also revealed a revenue slowdown for Q4 2024, falling slightly below analysts’ expectations.

Snap’s Active Advertisers Double

Snap Inc. announced its financial results for the final quarter of last year, boasting a revenue increase of 14% year-over-year to USD$1.56bn (£1.25bn). The social giant’s number of active advertisers doubled year-over-year, which the company attributes to improvements made to their advertising platform driving improved advertiser performance. The company also revealed that during the quarter, Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places grew the number of unique Snapchatters reached by advertising partners, delivering a 30% increase in reach on average in the US. 

Instagram and YouTube See Drops in Average Views per Video

Elsewhere in the social sphere, a study by influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy compares key performance metrics and output from the week prior to and following the implementation of the Supreme Court’s TikTok ban in the US on January 19th. US creators notably expanded their presence on Instagram and YouTube, and largely continued posting on TikTok, despite the ban law coming into effect. Both Instagram and YouTube saw drops in average views per video posted, which the agency accredits to the increase in posts and consequently the increased competition on the platforms. However, Instagram’s viewership decline was less pronounced than YouTube’s, despite a comparable rise in content output, suggesting audiences could be gravitating more toward Instagram over YouTube. TikTok saw a sharper drop in average views per video than in overall content production.