What to Know:
– Google recently terminated its contract with Appen, a company that provided search quality raters for the search engine giant.
– Search quality raters are human evaluators who assess the quality of search results and provide feedback to improve Google’s algorithms.
– The termination of the contract has led to speculation about Google potentially replacing human raters with AI algorithms.
– However, Google has clarified that they still rely on human raters and that the termination of the contract with Appen was due to a change in their vendor strategy.
The Full Story:
Google’s decision to terminate its contract with Appen, a company that provided search quality raters for the search engine giant, has sparked speculation about the future of human raters and the potential use of AI algorithms in their place.
Search quality raters are human evaluators who assess the quality of search results and provide feedback to improve Google’s algorithms. They play a crucial role in ensuring that Google’s search engine delivers relevant and high-quality results to users.
The termination of the contract with Appen has led to speculation that Google may be planning to replace human raters with AI algorithms. However, Google has clarified that this is not the case. In a statement to Search Engine Journal, Google stated that they still rely on human raters and that the termination of the contract with Appen was due to a change in their vendor strategy.
Google’s decision to terminate the contract with Appen is part of a broader shift in their approach to search quality evaluation. The company is reportedly planning to bring more of the search quality evaluation process in-house, rather than relying on external vendors like Appen.
This change in vendor strategy does not mean that Google is moving away from human raters altogether. Human raters play a crucial role in evaluating search quality and providing feedback that helps Google improve its algorithms. While AI algorithms can assist in certain aspects of search quality evaluation, human judgment and expertise are still essential.
Google’s reliance on human raters is evident in the guidelines they provide to these evaluators. The guidelines are detailed and extensive, covering various aspects of search quality evaluation, including the relevance, usefulness, and trustworthiness of search results. These guidelines require human judgment and interpretation, which AI algorithms may not be able to replicate accurately.
The termination of the contract with Appen does not mean that Google is abandoning the use of external vendors for search quality evaluation. The company will continue to work with other vendors and may even bring in new ones as part of their revised vendor strategy.
Google’s decision to terminate the contract with Appen has raised questions about the future of search quality evaluation and the potential role of AI algorithms. While AI can assist in certain aspects of search quality evaluation, it is unlikely to replace human raters entirely. Human judgment and expertise are still crucial in assessing the relevance and quality of search results.
In conclusion, Google’s termination of the contract with Appen does not signify a shift towards AI algorithms replacing human raters. The decision was part of a change in vendor strategy, and Google continues to rely on human raters for search quality evaluation. While AI can assist in certain aspects, human judgment and expertise remain essential in ensuring the delivery of relevant and high-quality search results.
Original article: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/about-those-google-ai-search-quality-raters/506474/