New Study Shows AI Chatbots Can Work Better in Responding to Different Social Situations than Humans

According to a new study published in Scientific Reports, AI chatbots are more capable of evaluating social situations and producing quick solutions to challenging social problems than humans.

Researchers used Situational Judgement Test on chatbots like Microsoft CoPilot and Claude and found that they are better at behavioral responses than humans. AI chatbots are designed to understand context, process language and provide solutions to humans. They also provide mental health support and can perform verbal reasoning too. But no one could think that AI chatbots would be that good at understanding complex social situations and providing solutions for it.

The research was done by the Institute of Aerospace Machine and the author of the study, Justin M. Mittlelstädt, said that they apply different methods to diagnose different skills in LLMs to see which one can be suitable for astronauts and pilots. For the study, the Situational Judgement Test which is used to measure social competence of humans. Five AI chatbots Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, you.com and CoPilot, and 276 humans were given some social scenarios for the research. The human participants were applicants for pilot positions and had high qualification and social skills.

109 human experts rated the responses by both humans and AI chatbots. The Situational Judgement Test was completed by AI ten times, and they were also asked to rate the effectiveness of each action they suggested in different scenarios. The results found that most AI chatbots performed as well as humans, with some AI chatbots performing better than human participants. Claude got the highest score in evaluating social situations, followed by CoPilot and then you.com. The results also found that when AI chatbots couldn't find the best solution or response, they often opted for the second most effective response, just like humans do. This shows that AI chatbots have some sense of reasoning and judgement too.

The study also showed how different AI chatbots have different reliability, with Claude being the most reliable and consistent. Gemini was also good but it showed some inconsistencies in its responses. The study was more about simulated scenarios than real world scenarios so a quantifiable comparison can be made.

Overall, this doesn't mean that AI chatbots are becoming better than humans. Human responses also vary culture to culture, and AI chatbots cannot understand it if they aren't specifically told to navigate a situation according to a cultural context. LLMs can help individuals with social skills development as they are good at imitating human responses in different scenarios and situations.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: AI Chatbots Are Replacing Friends for Teens—Here’s Why Experts Are Worried
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Cheap Domains Driving Phishing Attacks: A Growing Threat to Online Security

Phishing attacks soared nearly 40% by August 2024, and the culprit is no secret: Cheap domains.

New domains like .shop, .top, and .xyz are attracting scammers because they’re easy to get and don’t cost much. These so-called "new" gTLDs are drawing increasing attention, not because they’re useful, but because they offer rock-bottom prices with minimal registration requirements.

Interisle Consulting’s latest findings show that while these new gTLDs represent only 11% of new domains, they account for a shocking 37% of the cybercrime domains reported in the past year. That’s a huge leap, especially when compared to the older, more established .com and .net, which, despite their dominance in the market, only contributed to about 40% of phishing domains.

For starters many of these gTLDs are available for under $2, with hardly any identity checks. In comparison, .com domains usually start at $5.91. For cybercriminals working in bulk, it's a no-brainer. But the domain sellers often face losses. Criminals don’t renew their domains, leaving registrars with unpaid bills.

Despite the clear pattern, ICANN, the nonprofit that oversees domains, is pushing ahead with plans to introduce even more gTLDs in 2026. Web hosting experts worry this will just create more space for cybercrime to grow.

• Also read: Analysis Shows Yoast and Redirection Top Rankings for Most Popular WordPress Plugins

While phishing attacks have historically targeted big tech companies, the U.S. Postal Service now tops the list as the most-phished entity. This shift has a lot to do with one notorious cybercriminal—Chenlun—who’s been selling kits that target postal services around the globe.

Then there’s the growing threat of subdomains. Platforms like blogspot.com (AKA Blogger.com/Google), pages.dev, and Weebly have become hotspots for scammers. In the last year alone, phishing incidents involving subdomains rose by 114%.

What’s tricky about subdomains is that it’s up to the platform provider to take down malicious accounts, but there’s a catch. If the provider blocks a domain, it affects all their users. That’s a delicate balance to strike. Still, there’s a clear path forward. Tighten the rules around creating accounts, especially on free services.

As more cheap domains and subdomains flood the internet, the need for stricter registration policies has never been clearer. Scammers will always find ways around the rules, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't raise the bar. The solution isn't just about limiting domain sales; it’s about taking accountability seriously.

Read next: 

• Phishing Attacks Are Evolving – Is Your Mobile Safe from This Sneaky Cyber Security Threat?

• AI Chatbots Are Replacing Friends for Teens—Here’s Why Experts Are Worried
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Analysis Shows Yoast and Redirection Top Rankings for Most Popular WordPress Plugins

Kinsta analyzed 140,000 websites to identify the plugins most favored for performance and reliability. The findings revealed that publishers prioritize good performance, seamless user experience, and effective SEO.

Schema.org is the tenth most used plugin among users (1.75%) and it can be because it provides structured data types than most plugins and also has capability to add custom structured data automatically.

XML Sitemap Generator for Google Plugin is used by 2.17% of websites analyzed because its basic version has a similar functionality as WordPress. With 3.27% websites using it, Broken Line Checker plugin is used to check broken links and 404 errors with its cloud based scanner. 4.81% of websites hosted by Kinsta also use SEOPress, making it the seventh most used plugin by more than 300k installations. It boasts search engine optimization plugin which can be helpful in schema implementation, content optimization and redirection management.

All in one SEO is the sixth most popular plugin with 5.11% websites using it with more than 3 million installations. With 11.62% websites using it, Imagify is the fifth most used image optimizer plugin which is used to minimize file size so the website doesn't take too much time to load. As there are not many image optimizer plugins, most of the websites use Imagify on WordPress.

• Want Cleaner Text For Blogger Blog Posts?: Discover how to remove clutter from your Google Docs with just a few clicks—try it now!

Rank Math is the fourth most used plugin on WordPress websites hosted by Kinsta. It has more than 3 million installations all over the world with 18.32% websites using it. WP Rocket comes at third with 19.10% sites using it for performance optimization. Website optimization is very important for publishers so the popularity of WP Rocket isn't surprising. It can minimize the file, optimize the database and improve loading time. 

The second most used plugin is Redirection with 26.85% of sites and blogs using it. It does a lot more than link redirecting, and has 404 error reporting as well as setting security headers.

Coming at number one spot with most users is Yoast (57.95%) installed in more than 10 million websites. It seems like Yoast is the most popular and trusted plugin according to 140,000 websites that were studied.

Read next: Here’s How Branded Searches Are Dominating Google and Why You Need to Adapt Your Approach
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

AI Chatbots Are Replacing Friends for Teens—Here’s Why Experts Are Worried

From social media to other digital services, teens are always seeking validation and looking for life advice on these platforms. Now Artificial Intelligence has also entered the group and children may be using it for purposes other than what parents seem to know. According to the researchers from University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, many children are forming emotional digital relations with AI and seem to disconnect from reality. The lead researcher of the study said that they wanted to know about how teenagers interact with generative AI and what effects it causes them. He added that even though AI and other technologies are evolving quickly, people are also quick to evolve with how to use those technologies.

Many parents assume that their children are using AI to take help for homework or asking it some general questions. While some children may be using AI solely for that purpose, a lot of teens are being emotionally dependent on it and are using it as their social interaction. Now AI technologies are present in many social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat and teens use them to pretend they are talking with humans and sometimes can have romantic attachment to them.

The researchers gave the example of Character AI and how many teens are using it to fantasize about different real life scenarios with made up characters. For the study, the researchers conducted interviews with 20 participants (13 parents and 7 teens) and analyzed different social media posts that were relevant to teens discussing the use of AI. There was a huge difference between how parents thought their child was using AI and how their child was actually using it. Parents didn't know about CharacterAI or image generation tools like DALL-E and Midjourney.

A lot of parents also didn't understand how much sensitive data and information their children are giving away to AI like their private information, personal traumas and medical records. Teens were also concerned about some things related to AI use, like addiction to using AI chatbots and use of their personal information for harmful purposes. Some teens were also worried about societal concerns and AI replacing humans.

The most concerning thing is that there is no awareness about how to use AI chatbots and related technologies safely. Many GAI models can mimic human emotions and behaviors easily, making it hard to differentiate between humans and AI. Research teams are developing some solutions to combat this problem and many psychologists are taking a look at it too.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next:

• OpenAI CEO Says We’re Getting Closer To The Launch of AGI Superintelligence But Don’t Expect Too Much Brilliance

• Phishing Attacks Are Evolving – Is Your Mobile Safe from This Sneaky Cyber Security Threat?

• Here’s How Branded Searches Are Dominating Google and Why You Need to Adapt Your Approach

by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Here’s How Branded Searches Are Dominating Google and Why You Need to Adapt Your Approach

According to data by Datos and Sparktoro, 15% of all Google searches are focused on just 148 specific keywords, highlighting how a small number of terms generate substantial search volume. This means that these 148 popular keywords account for a significant portion of all search activity, while the rest of the queries are spread across countless other terms. This discovery happened after analyzing 332 million queries of more than 320,000 query terms. This study needed to be done because organic traffic on different websites is decreasing a lot and in 2024, it was very hard for websites and blogs to pull through immense competition. Mostly it is because of a lot of new Google rules and also Google’s AI Overviews which are making it harder for websites to attract traffic.

The top nine most searched terms on Google are Facebook, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Docs, ChatGPT, Gmail, WhatsApp Web, Google Translate and Amazon. The analysis of Google searches on the basis of topic, brand and intent were also done and it was found that 44% of the searches on Google are for branded keywords, while the rest are unbranded or generic keywords. The total search volume of generic searches is 55.82% while searches for brands are 44.19%. 33% of the searches are navigational, 51% of them are informational and 14.5% of the searches are commercial.

The most navigational search on Google between 2023 to 2024 was TikTok with 352,334 unique searches. Carl Jung (3240) was the most searched informational search, while Verizon Business (2124) was most searched in the commercial searcher category. Pho Near Me was searched 3041 times. Most of the Google Search Volume was from Arts & Entertainment category, with Computer and Technology being the second.

Rand Fishkin said that most of the Google searches are about big brands and popular topics. The traffic is also attracted towards this category and there are only a number of people who want to search for something unique and different. The data by Datos also showed that 130k devices in the UK are active daily on Google search. If brands and websites need to reach out to larger audiences, they need to diversify their brand or business. This means that they will also have to bring their business to other platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube and other platforms. Marketers shouldn't be just caught up on PPC and SEO because now it is beyond that if you need to get discovered by a large audience. Google is going to push only a few keywords and websites no matter what, so it's time to take a stand to expand your business.

Read next: Is AI Changing Search Forever? UK Users Still Stick to Traditional Methods
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Google's CEO Says Search Will Undergo Massive Change In 2025 Thanks To AI

Google’s CEO just shared the massive struggles linked to the web ecosystem and how 2025 will be a year of massive change.

Sitting down for an interview with the New York Times recently, Sundar Pichai highlighted what users can expect next year while failing to explain the concern it could bring for content creators.

Image: NYT

When questioned about the current position of the search giant compared to the rest of the world, he explained how Google was in the process of a serious shift. The tech giant was highlighted as a serious leader in the world of AI and not a usual follower like others.

To be more specific, he added how the whole AI industry is designed over Google’s research findings that were open-sourced. And if Google was not there, neither would the AI world flourish.

He called it a dynamic moment in the world in terms of what to expect in the future. Right now, we are in the early stage of a major shift where everything has an AI approach. World class research is the way to go and since it’s the most cited, it must mean something.

Today. Google has more than 15 products with 0.5B users. They are creating foundation models and use them internally. It’s provided greatness to more than 3M developers and the investment is real time.

Short discussions spoke about the blue link economy of today. This is where Sundar Pichai explained that Google applied the most AI to its search. This helped shut gaps in regards to search quality. Many in the industry did not understand this approach that AI is not new. It’s been a part of Google since 2012. From Deep Neural Networks to ways to identify pictures and speech recognition, it’s been hard at work for years. In 2015, Google rolled out RankBrain which ranked search results.

For 2025, the Google CEO says it’s all about early changes where progress gets harder as innovation isn’t as easy to achieve now as what we saw before. The search engine will tackle more complex issues than before. The world will be surprised at what’s up for grabs.

As far as the question about the search going away, Pichai disagreed. It’s true that many are resorting to other platforms using AI and that the demand for Google searches might be in decline. But this does not mean search deteriorates as many want hassle-free search without AI influence.

As per Pichai, the value for Search rises when the internet is full of material that’s inauthentic. You’re looking for something reliable and Google search steps in with trustworthy content. While he may have answered all the tough questions well, the Google CEO failed with his replies related to the content creator community. This includes content getting devalued on Google platforms and many suffering as a result of this.



Read next: OpenAI Eyes More Investments After Removing Clause That Shuts Microsoft Out Of Advanced Models
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

OpenAI Eyes More Investments After Removing Clause That Shuts Microsoft Out Of Advanced Models

OpenAI is discussing deleting a clause that removes Microsoft from the company’s latest models after it attains artificial general intelligence (AGI).

As reported in a recently published report by the Financial Times, the AI giant is trying to unlock more investment opportunities by altering the current terms. This states that when AGI is created, Microsoft access is void.

AGI is another name given to a very autonomous system that outperforms human power at a level deemed economically powerful.

Removing this clause from the entire corporate structure is a major deal that would open up a plethora of opportunities. As a result, Microsoft would continue investing and getting access to all tech from OpenAI after AGI comes into play.

While both tech giants are currently hushed on the matter, this clause came into existence to offer protection from misuse for commercial uses, providing ownership to the non-profit board.

As per the makers of ChatGPT, this AGI system is made from commercial and IP licensing. It’s working hard to discuss options and make this deal a reality for better future prospects.

Reuters was the first to report about this in September of this year when it highlighted restructuring plans. Last month, the company shut a funding round of nearly $6.6B that stood at an approximate valuation of $157B.

Image: DIW

Read next: 

• OpenAI’s o1 Model Shows Genius Intelligence But Raises Major Ethical Questions

• OpenAI Unveils Very Expensive Subscription Plan For ChatGPT Pro
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World