Shocker! Ex-Google executive required AI's help to describe her daughter
What's the story
Marissa Mayer, the former Google executive, has drawn flak online after using an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to describe her daughter. In an interview with The New York Times about her new tech start-up Dazzle, Mayer revealed how she once turned to an AI assistant for help in giving three bullet points that summarized what made her daughter special.
AI assistance
Mayer turned to her own AI tool for parenting help
Mayer revealed that she struggled to come up with three bullet points about her daughter for a school assignment.
To make things easier, she turned to Dazzle, her start-up's AI assistant.
The tool quickly provided the information, describing her daughter as "empathetic, creative and an animal lover."
This revelation has drawn criticism from social media users who have questioned Mayer's parenting skills.
Target audience
Venture into the AI personal assistant space
Mayer has said that one of the main targets for Dazzle is busy women, who she hopes will take to an AI assistant.
The start-up is her first venture into the AI personal assistant space. It uses images in users' camera rolls to perform tasks and make suggestions.
"A lot of what excites me is taking something that used to take you hours or minutes, and now getting it done in seconds," Mayer said about Dazzle's capabilities.
AI applications
From planning family activities to suggesting Halloween costumes
Mayer envisions Dazzle as a tool that could take care of everyday problems that are often difficult to solve.
She has already used it for planning family activities during a trip to Venice, organizing a play date for one of her daughters, and choosing a theme for her son's birthday party.
The tech start-up also suggested Halloween costume ideas for her, showing its wide range of applications.
User experience
Aiming for a more user-friendly approach
Mayer wants Dazzle to be more user-friendly than other AI assistants, which she thinks are too technical and intimidating.
"So much of what I see with these assistants, they're quite technical. There's definitely a cohort of people, probably more women than men, that are too busy for that," she said.
This approach comes amid concerns about gender representation in the tech industry and AI development.