Technologies
Bing AI Bungles Search Results at Times, Just Like Google
Expect search engines to tread carefully as tests reveal problems with AI language skills.
A close reading of Bing’s AI-boosted search results reveals that the website can make the same kinds of errors that are apparent in the ChatGPT technology foundation it uses and in Google’s competing Bard.
A new version of Bing that’s in limited testing employs large language model, or LLM, technology from OpenAI, the research lab Microsoft invested in and that grabbed the tech spotlight with its ChatGPT AI chatbot. ChatGPT and related technology, trained on enormous swaths of the internet, can produce remarkable results, but they don’t truly know facts and they can make errors.
Bing tries to avoid such errors by «grounding» results with Microsoft’s search technology, assessing the veracity and authority of source documents and offering links to sources, so people can evaluate the results on their own better. But AI and search engine researcher Dmitri Brereton and others have spotted errors in Bing’s demo, including flawed financial data from a Gap quarterly earnings report.
It’s a buzzkill moment for AI. The technology truly can produce remarkable and useful results, but the trouble is assessing when it isn’t doing that. Expect more caution as the search engine industry tries to find the right formula.
Google felt the pain after a demo last week when its Bard tool, which isn’t yet publicly available, produced erroneous information about the James Webb Space Telescope.
Microsoft offered a similar response Tuesday to what Google said about its gaffe: «We recognize that there is still work to be done and are expecting that the system may make mistakes during this preview period, which is why the feedback is critical so we can learn and help the models get better.»
One basic problem is that large language models, even if trained using text like academic papers and Wikipedia entries that have passed some degree of scrutiny, don’t necessarily assemble factual responses from that raw material.
As internet pioneer and Google researcher Vint Cerf said Monday, AI is «like a salad shooter,» scattering facts all over the kitchen but not truly knowing what it’s producing. «We are a long way away from the self-awareness we want,» he said in a talk at the TechSurge Summit.
Summarizing documents might appear to be within AI’s advanced language processing abilities, but constructing human-readable sentences without drawing in inappropriate information can be difficult. For example, in this request to summarize a spec sheet for Canon’s new R8 mirrorless camera, Bing technology rattled off many features that actually are found in Canon’s earlier R5.
Another high-profile computer scientist, former Stanford University Professor John Hennessy, was more bullish than Cerf, praising AI for its language skills in understanding search queries and generating results that often are correct. But he also cautioned, «It’s always confident that it has the right answer even when it doesn’t.»
OpenAI itself offers the same warning. «ChatGPT sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers. Fixing this issue is challenging,» the AI research lab said when it launched ChatGPT in November.
Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to create some personal finance explainers that are edited and fact-checked by our editors. For more, see this post.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 29
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 29.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s a bit trickier than normal, so read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Skill taught at lifeguard training, for short
Answer: CPR
4A clue: Bop it!
Answer: HEAD
6A clue: Not given anything to eat
Answer: UNFED
8A clue: Twist it! Pull it!
Answer: TAFFY
9A clue: Best of the best
Answer: ELITE
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Means of getting trash to a basement dumpster
Answer: CHUTE
2D clue: Word that can precede «code» or «colony»
Answer: PENAL
3D clue: «Baby Beluga» musician
Answer: RAFFI
5D clue: Neatly skillful
Answer: DEFT
7D clue: Change the color of, as hair
Answer: DYE
Technologies
Samsung’s Wild-Looking Tri-Fold Phone Debuts at APEC Summit in South Korea
The Galaxy phonemaker showed off a twin-hinged foldable at a Korean consumer tech show.
Samsung unveiled its first triple-display foldable phone for consumers at a tech exhibition hall during the APEC CEO Summit in South Korea. The Korean publication Dailian reported that the new phone will launch in November or December.
The tri-fold phone, which doesn’t have an official name yet, was revealed as a prototype on display. Whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 fold in half along one hinge, Samsung’s next device folds in two places to be as compact as a typical smartphone with a 6.5-inch outer screen, then unfolds for a tablet-size 10-inch screen, according to The Chosun Daily. Compare that with dual-screen foldables that have inner screens measuring approximately 8 inches. The Z Fold 7 has a single crease on its main screen; the new tri-fold could have two creases.
Samsung has been at the forefront of foldable phones since releasing the first Galaxy Fold in 2019 and the Galaxy Z Flip in 2020. At the time, it faced fierce competition from Motorola and Huawei — the latter of which gained a significant lead in 2024 with its own tri-fold Huawei Mate XT, which was followed by a second version. Samsung’s launch of its own competitor keeps the company in the game.
Here’s your first look at the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold.
Screen when folded: 6.5-inch
Screen when unfolded: 10-inch
It might be announced later this week.
Source: Chosun Media pic.twitter.com/EhT4i1hW2k— Trakin Tech English (@trakinenglish) October 28, 2025
These two consumer tri-folds have their differences. The Huawei Mate XT’s two hinges fold in opposite directions like an accordion, giving it a Z shape, while Samsung’s device has two screens that fold inward in what Dailian (through Google Translate) asserts is «G-shaped.» Given that Samsung has branded its foldable line as the Z-series, it’s ironic that the company didn’t adopt that shape and format for its tri-fold.
Samsung didn’t release any more details about its tri-fold, though Dailian expects it to be even pricier than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which starts at $2,000in the US. From photos of the device — apparently a prototype — behind glass, you can see a front-facing camera on the inner display (when unfolded) and outer screen (when folded up). But since Samsung also didn’t show the device folding, there are a lot of questions about its durability and capability before its supposed launch in a month or two.
It’s not a total surprise to see Samsung’s tri-fold ready to go. For years, the company has displayed various flexible display designs, including three-screen formats, during CES. In the last few months, there’s been a steady flow of rumors and outright executive confirmations that Samsung was gearing up to unveil its tri-fold. Now we’ll have to see whether the company that’s fought so hard to be at the forefront of smartphone design can release another format that dominates the folding phone niche — all before one of its biggest rivals, Apple, even releases its first foldable.
Samsung didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Technologies
Be Wary of AI Videos as Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica. How to Spot a Fake
AI-generated storm videos are spreading rapidly online. Here’s where to find reliable information.
As Category 5 Hurricane Melissa bears down on Jamaica with winds topping 180 mph, social media is being hit by a surge of AI-generated and misleading videos, showing catastrophic flooding, collapsing buildings and rescue scenes that never happened.
Across X, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, fake clips spread quickly, racking up millions of views in hours. Many of these videos are spliced footage from past storms or clips created entirely with text-to-video AI tools.
In times of crisis, like a dangerous and imminent natural disaster, these fake videos can create confusion, panic and distraction at a time when accuracy can be life-saving.
Natural disasters have always bred rumors and recycled footage, but the rise of AI-generated video has supercharged the problem. Tools like OpenAI’s Sora and other AI-video platforms can render realistic-looking images of storms, floods and damage scenes in seconds, reaching millions online in just a few hours.
Read also: The Deepfakes Are Winning. How Can You Tell if a Video Is Real or Sora AI?
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Why storms are a magnet for fake news
Storms are visual, emotional and fast-moving, which is the perfect recipe for viral misinformation. In years past, videos were often taken out of context or labeled as a different storm. Now, they can be digitally fabricated from scratch.
Some depict apocalyptic flooding that hasn’t occurred, while others claim to show «real-time» conditions hours before landfall. Several videos that have circled this week include images of sharks swimming in the storm surge and unsettling depictions of human suffering.
False videos like these can exaggerate the danger of the storm, create panic, undermine trust and distract emergency responders, as misinformation pulls attention from verified reports.
The following three videos are all fake. They are labeled (albeit briefly) with the Sora watermark, which indicates they were made in OpenAI’s video generator.
How to separate truth from fiction online
When social feeds fill with dramatic hurricane clips, it’s important to separate truth from fiction.
«You have to be very discerning,» Senator Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s information minister, said. «You have to know what is good information from bad information. If you want to know where the storm is going, if you want to know what to do, you need to look for official sources.»
Dixon highlighted that the Jamaica Information Service, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management’s information sites and the Office of the Prime Minister page are resources for legitimate, timely updates.
Here are some ways to be discerning.
Check the source. If the video comes from an unfamiliar account, lacks a timestamp or carries no recognizable media branding, assume it is fake until verified. Also, look for the Sora watermark indicating it was made in OpenAI’s app, or read the comments to see if someone else has flagged the video as fake.
Ask yourself if it’s new and local. Does the geography match Jamaica? Is the footage recent? Many «Melissa» clips could actually be from past Caribbean or Gulf storms.
Cross-check before believing. Confirm through trusted outlets, like the Meteorological Service of Jamaica and the US National Hurricane Center, or established media like the BBC, Reuters or the Associated Press.
Pause before sharing. A viral video can cause harm if it spreads misinformation. Wait until a credible source verifies it before reposting.
Go local. If you’re in the affected area, rely on local emergency agencies, radio stations and city or county-level officials for evacuation and safety updates.
Monitor official alerts. For real-time instructions, stick with government channels and local emergency feeds. Your safety depends on accurate information, not viral content.
As AI-generated media becomes easier to produce, hurricanes like Melissa offer a preview of a new reality: one in which you can’t trust much of the information you see online.
Staying safe means being skeptical and diligent when looking for accurate and even lifesaving news.
Read also: What Is AI Slop? Everything to Know About the Terrible Content Taking Over the Internet
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