Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Who We’re Having Affairs With, According to Google Autocomplete

Married men, coworkers, bosses, and professors, in that order.
November 7, 2011

Google Autocomplete suggests, in real time, ways to complete your searches. The algorithms behind the feature rely on a number of factors when determining what to show you, but it’s safe to say that for requests that are not regional or about breaking news, the primary criterion is simple popularity.

The best data suggest that 15 to 18 percent of people who have ever been married have had an affair.

The fourth item in the screenshot above may be specific to my own Google history, because lately I’ve been searching for this article about an affair with a professor whenever I want to send it to someone as a great example of confessional first person writing. (Google autocomplete is also informed by your search history.) So I’m curious if readers’ results vary. Give it a shot! Then leave it in the comments.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.