Have the headlines got you down?
Google thinks it has a remedy for that, with the tech giant launching a new feature on Tuesday that aims to give users a “daily dose of good news.”
Here’s how it works: Users can ask their Android phone or home speaker to “tell me something good,” and Google Assistant, its artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant, will give users a “brief news summary about people who are solving problems for our communities and our world,” according to the company’s blog. The feature is only available to users in the U.S. right now.
You’re probably wondering what qualifies as universally “good news” these days, right? Google gives a few examples of stories it will share with users, including how Iceland curbed teenage drinking and how Georgia State University used data to rapidly increase its graduation rates. The briefs are curated by Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit dedicated to “showing problems are solvable and that doing better is possible,” according to Google.
“These days we’re consuming more news than ever, and sometimes, it can feel like there are only problems out there,” explained Google in its blog post. “But the fact is, there is a plethora of ‘good news’ happening, and we’re not talking about unlikely animal friendships or random acts of kindness.”
One thing that probably won’t make its way into the good news roundup: Google admitting last week it still tracks its users, even if they disable the Location History feature on their devices, through a series of other settings.
Looking to start our day on a positive note, TheWrap tried out the new feature, asking the Google Assistant app on iPhone to “tell me something good.” The feature doesn’t appear up and running just yet, though. Instead of recommending news stories, Google shared the 1974 hit “Tell Me Something Good,” by Rufus and Chaka Khan. Several other attempts failed as well.
