Google Assistant has been updated with a feature that will deliver “good news” on command.
Directing Google Assistant to “tell me something good” will give users a quick dose of positivity.
“Good news,” as defined by Google, includes stories about people who are solving problems for communities and the world.
Here are some examples of the types of feel-good stories Google Assistant will deliver to users:
“…like how Georgia State University coupled empathy with data to double its graduation rate and eliminate achievement gaps between white and black students, how backyard beekeepers in East Detroit are bringing back the dwindling bee population while boosting the local economy, and how Iceland curbed teen drinking with nightly curfews and coupons for kids to enroll in extracurricular activities.
This is an interesting new feature, although Google will have to be selective when it comes to the stories it delivers.
“Good” is a fairly subjective opinion. What’s considered good news to some may be bad news to others, and vice versa.
However, it’s a fairly safe bet that stories about people helping other people will be received as good news by the majority of users.
This is especially true when you consider the other types of news stories that have been making headlines as of late.
Google will not be selecting good news stories algorithmically. Stories will be sourced from a wide range of media outlets while being curated and summarized by the Solutions Journalism Network.
“They’re a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to spreading the practice of solutions journalism, which highlights how problems are solvable and that doing better is possible. Solutions journalism empowers and energizes audiences, helping to combat negative news fatigue.
“Tell me something good” is an experimental feature for Google Assistant users in the US only. It’s available on any Assistant-enabled device, including phones, Smart Displays, and Google Home.
