Search

This article discusses how the combination of humans and artificial intelligence could target misinformation and polarization, by examining two scenarios- one where computing methods can assist human fact-checkers and one where human search methods can assist in search engine algorithms for personalization. Topics include the Australian Communication and Media Authority research on misinformation in Australia, whether filter bubbles are created by personalization attempts of algorithms, and the various computational methods that can assist fact-checking to prevent misinformation.

The article discusses the use of multiple digital devices and cloud services to support people's daily activities through digital assistants. Topics include the use of different devices simultaneously for task completion in multi-device experiences (MDXs) versus sequentially as in cross-device experiences, the ability to address and overcome individual device weaknesses through MDXs, and the Microsoft Ask Chef MDX application's use of a tablet computer, smart speaker and cloud service to assist cooking.

The article reports on user discovery of the abilities of virtual assistants. It mentions dealing with user expectations by developers, the use of context awareness by the assistant, and the use of algorithms to provide recommendations.

Seeking to address a wider range of user requests toward task completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose the concept of slow search wherein search engines use more time to provide a better search experience than is possible with conventional time constraints. Topics discussed include people's perception that search engine results that are provided quickly are higher quality and more engaging, advances in the understanding of how people search for information, and ways in which slow search can enable search engines to relax restrictions and provide better search results.

This article focuses on research and development opportunities to improve current Internet search interfaces so users can succeed more often in situations when they lack the knowledge or contextual awareness to formulate queries or navigate complex information spaces, the search task requires browsing and exploration, or system indexing of available information is inadequate. Most people rely on tentative queries, exploring and retrieving information, and selectively seeking and passively obtaining cues about what step to take next. Researchers are working on techniques to support these kinds of queries in what is known as "exploratory search."