Google Gemini PM: Recommenders Should Understand Intent, Not Predict Clicks

import_jmr · x · 2026-09-15

James Rubin, Lead PM of Gemini Applied Research at Google, argues that as content creation becomes effectively free, human attention is the scarce resource — making the systems that decide what we see enormously consequential.

He criticizes click-prediction-driven recommendations: searching for a Beatles documentary and getting more documentaries may miss the point entirely — you might love music, or love watching extraordinary people. Good personalization means inferring the nuanced interest behind the query, which he calls the hard part where most of the value lies.

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