Online search, dominated by Google for 25 years, has become as mundane as making a phone call, but it could finally be getting a profound reset thanks to artificial intelligence. The classic search-and-click is getting a major AI makeover as bots ChatGPT, Bard or Bing see hundreds of millions of web surfers seek answers to life's questions in a new way. "People are realizing how many times they use Google search, not to find a webpage, but to answer a question," said Stefan Sigg, Chief Product Officer at Germany-based Software AG. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.

The burgeoning esports business just got a well-connected partner: AT&T. The telecom giant has signed on as a partner with the esports operator ESL to sponsor several upcoming mobile video game competitions in North America. AT&T and ESL staged a surprise mobile game competition with several pro gamers playing the game Clash Royale as part of announcing the partnership Sunday at the telecom company's annual Shape tech and entertainment event in Los Angeles. Already well-known for its involvement in more traditional sports -- there's AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants -- AT&T has expanded into other entertainment sponsorships including the Tribeca Film Festival. Esports is at the "intersection of tech and entertainment," said Shiz Suzuki, assistant vice president for AT&T corporate sponsorships.