The Friday Five: Google has hundreds of search docs leaked, AI adoption among public slow, and UK AI regulators 'under-resourced'

Hello and welcome back to this week's Friday Five - your favourite go to newsletter that breaks down five of the most important stories from the last seven days.

Today is no different and we've got some cracking stories. We begin by looking at a new report showing how social media is the leading channel for product discovery and then examine outgoing MP Greg Clark's warning about the lack of resources the UK has to combat the growth of AI.

We examine the Digital Marketing Association's statement to the next government, urging them to to put AI at the centre of their digital strategy and look at the surprising news surrounding the lack of AI adoption by the general public. Finally, we break down a massive story surrounidng Google who have had hundreds of documents about their search algortihm leaked online.

With us having a lot to get through, why don't we get started?

1. Social media leads the way for discovering products

Social media is now the leading channel for brand product discovery, according to a new report by GWI.

Of those surveyed 38% of consumers say they find new brands via social media over other resources such as search engines and TV ads which earned a score of 37% and 35% respectively.

As you can imagine, TikTok is a particularly influential platform with its user base for brand discovery tripling since 2020.

Additionally, Pinterest is another key platform, with 39% of respondents saying they use it to find style inspiration.

The report highlighted social media's important role in the purchase journey, especially for the younger generation who appreciate personalised content from the brands they follow.

Two key themes - trust and authenticity - are crucial, especially for Gen Z and Alpha. Influencers and their rise in, well, influencing people, have seen topics such as 'clean beauty' and 'minimalist skincare' trends in recent years.

Marketing Tech News has more on this story.

2. 'Clearly insufficient' funds to fight growth of AI warns outgoing Greg Clark

In a warning to the future government, outgoing Chairman of the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Greg Clark has warned that the UK's AI regulatory framework is facing huge constraints due to a lack of resources.

The committee's recent report underscores that the ￡10 million allocated by the government in February to support Ofcom and other regulators is 'clearly insufficient' for addressing the rapid growth of AI technology.

Clark emphasised the need for thorough testing of AI models for biases that might not be apparent during their construction, as these biases could lead to harmful outcomes.

There is also a call for stringent enforcement against online platforms hosting deepfake content, which could undermine the integrity of the upcoming general election.

In response, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology highlighted ongoing efforts to regulate AI and enhance the capabilities of regulators, supported by a broader ￡100 million funding initiative.

For more visit Sky News .

3. 'Prioritise AI, next government' says the DMA

The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) is urging the next UK government to prioritise artificial intelligence (AI) in its growth and innovation strategies.

The DMA has presented a ten-point manifesto aimed at enhancing the UK's AI landscape. The DMA's CEO emphasises the need for the UK to become a more attractive hub for AI research, development, and deployment.

Key points in the DMA's manifesto include maintaining high standards of data protection to foster trust and confidence in both the economy and government services.

The manifesto also advocates for maintaining data adequacy with the EU to ensure seamless trade, providing legal clarity around GDPR, and reforming the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The manifesto suggests practical amendments to existing regulations, such as removing consent requirements for cookies that disrupt customer journeys, extending the soft opt-in for emails to charities, and ensuring clarity on the use of publicly available data.

Visit Marketing Beat for more on this story.

4. Public adoption of AI down to just 25% says new report

Despite seemingly endless discussion about generative AI's potential to revolutionise work and life, the reality is that public adoption in the UK remains modest, as revealed by a recent Oxford University’s Reuters Institute study.

Just 25% of the UK population has used generative AI tools privately, and this figure drops to 20% for professional use.

Daily use is even lower, with just 2% of adults using ChatGPT daily and 29% monthly.

Recognition of major AI tools varies, with 58% of the UK population familiar with ChatGPT. However, awareness declines sharply for others, such as Microsoft Copilot (17%), Bing AI (17%), and Google Gemini (15%).

Most interestingly, 30% of the population hasn't heard of any generative AI tools.

Despite this tepid public reception, generative AI is expected to influence the marketing industry significantly. Convincing the public to embrace these technologies will be a key challenge for marketers.

Visit Marketing Week for more.

5. Google suffers major documents leak revealing inner workings of algorithm

A major leak of Google internal documents has shed light on the intricate workings of Google Search's ranking algorithm.

The documents, sourced from Google’s Content API Warehouse, were released by an automated bot on GitHub and subsequently analysed by industry experts Rand Fishkin and Michael King.

The leaked documents, current as of March, outline 2,596 ranking features with 14,014 attributes but do not specify their weighting.

Key revelations include the importance of link diversity and relevance, with PageRank still playing a crucial role. Successful user interactions, such as "goodClicks" and "longestClicks," significantly impact rankings, emphasising the need for quality content and user experience.

One notable aspect is "Twiddlers," which can adjust document rankings based on various factors. Content can be demoted for reasons including mismatched links, user dissatisfaction signals, and certain content types like exact match domains or pornography.

The documents confirm that brand recognition significantly influences rankings. Additionally, author information and "siteAuthority" are used to evaluate content, despite Google's previous denials of having a website authority score.

Freshness, core topic relevance, and average term weight in documents are also factors that Google considers.

This leak is poised to be one of the most significant events in SEO history, offering unparalleled insights into Google’s ranking mechanisms.

Search Engine Land has more on this.

Well there we go its been another incredibly nbusy and significant week in the world of SEO and digital marketing.

We hope you got someehting from today's edition. As always if you think you have a story that needs to feature in the Friday Five be sure to get in touch.

We'll be back this time next week for more summaries and breakdowns. In the meantime, have a great weekend!