Google’s AI Powered Search: Generative Search is Coming Soon!

Google’s new generative search is the next level AI-powered search. Now known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), it is a powerful tool that will consume the top half of Google’s search result page (SERP). It can now help you find information in a more creative and efficient way. It does this by using artificial intelligence to generate relevant information, audio (maybe soon), videos and many other rich media results to answer your search query.

THE NEXT LEVEL AI-POWERED SEARCH

This means that you can ask more open-ended questions and get more comprehensive results.

For example, if you search for “how to make a cake,” the traditional search results would show you recipes, videos, and articles about making cakes.

You could ask it questions like “what are some creative ways to decorate a cake?” or “what are some new cake recipes that are popular right now?” You will now see recipes, where to buy the ingredients, what it contains, compare it to another cake, videos of how others made the cake, or maybe when it was discovered =)

How Generative AI is Revolutionizing Google Search

This new AI is still in development, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we search for information. It could make it easier for us to find the information we need, and it could also help us to be more creative in our thinking.

Here are some other examples of how you could use Google’s new generative search AI:

• You could ask it to generate a list of potential job candidates personas for a position you’re hiring for.
• You could ask it to generate a marketing campaign for a new product you’re launching.
• You could ask it to generate a new product idea based on a current trend.

The possibilities are endless!

No Joke, Bard told me so.. (in his own way of course)

So I asked Chat GPT on what it thinks about it and it says:

8 Things You Need To Know

1. The latest update to Google’s search engine incorporates generative AI, providing more information and context to searches, aiming to answer questions that were previously unaddressed.

Imagine if it could not just find stuff, but also think and create answers to questions we didn’t even know we could ask. That’s what’s going on with this cool new update to Google Search.

You see, they’ve now got this thing called “generative AI” in the mix. Think of it like a super-smart friend who doesn’t just answer your questions, but also gives you a bunch of extra info to make everything make more sense. You know, like when you ask your friend why the sky is blue, and they also tell you about the way light travels and why the sunset turns red? That’s kind of what this AI is doing for your searches.

So, imagine you’re playing a video game with a really big map, and you’re trying to find a hidden treasure. Generative AI is like a game guide, not just telling you where to go, but also suggesting the best route, pointing out obstacles and even hinting at cool stuff you could find along the way.

That’s what Google is doing here. It’s like they’ve added an extra layer of smarts to the search engine, making it not just a tool, but more like a guide helping you navigate the massive world of information out there. 

2. This technology builds on existing advancements like Lens for visual searches and multisearch for both images and text. Usage of Lens has increased four-fold in two years, with 12 billion visual searches per month.

Imagine flipping through a photo album, but instead of just looking at the pictures, you could dive right into them, exploring every detail. That’s kind of what’s happening with this cool thing called Lens that’s part of this search engine. It’s a super-smart tool that lets you search using pictures instead of just typing in words. 

Now, you’re at a party and you’re trying to describe something to your friend, but you just can’t find the right words. You pull out a picture and a few keywords, and boom – your friend gets it! That’s what multisearch is like. It’s like having a conversation where you can use both words and pictures to get your point across. It’s a game-changer, and people are totally digging it.

And the coolest part? More and more of those searches are using both words and pictures, just like our chat at that party. So, buckle up, because this whole search thing? It’s about to get a whole lot more exciting.

3. The new generative AI capabilities in Search aim to help users understand topics faster, uncover new viewpoints, and simplify tasks.

Now, imagine having a super-assistant that not only fetches you the pieces but also suggests how to build better. That’s what this new AI upgrade to Search is all about!

You know when you want to understand something new, and it feels like you’re in a maze? You’re trying to find your way, looking for clues and insights, and sometimes it feels like you’re running in circles. Well, this new AI is like your personal guide in this information labyrinth.

Picture this: you’re planning a family vacation, but you have a specific question. Say you’re wondering, “Which is better for my family, with my little brother, baby sister and our pet dog – Bryce Canyon or Arches?” A normal search would have you sifting through loads of articles, blogs, and reviews – kind of like a detective piecing together a puzzle.

But what if you had a super-smart assistant doing some of that detective work for you? You will get the answer plus 3 more recommendations around the area or between the 2 places if you’re driving vs taking a plane ride. It breaks down your big question into smaller, bite-sized pieces, and helps you chew on the most important parts.

Cool, right? Now that’s what I call supercharging your search!

4. An example provided is a complex search query about a family trip: generative AI would break down the question, provide key information, and suggest next steps, including follow-up questions.

Want to know, “How long should we stay at Bryce Canyon with the kids?”, “Plan my days”, “Things to do”, “Must visit areas”, all just tap and ask away! And, this AI keeps track of what you’ve been asking, so it’s like having a conversation with a really knowledgeable friend.

And it doesn’t stop there. It gives you an easy-to-understand snapshot of important stuff you should think about. And if you want to dive deeper, it also provides links to more detailed info.

5. Context is carried over from question to question, enabling a more natural exploration of the topic. It also provides jumping-off points to web content and different perspectives.

It’s just like watching a movie where the story flows naturally from one scene to another. So, when you’re exploring a topic with Google, it’s like being on an exciting movie journey, where each question is a new scene that logically follows from the previous one.

With this feature, exploring the web is like being in your favorite video game or movie, smoothly transitioning from one scene to the next, discovering secret doors, and embarking on new adventures!

6. Generative AI also aids in shopping, providing a snapshot of important factors to consider, product descriptions, up-to-date reviews, ratings, prices, and product images. This feature is built on Google’s Shopping Graph, which includes over 35 billion product listings.

You’ve got a gazillion options, prices all over the place, and a truckload of reviews to comb through. Well, guess what? The new generative AI feature in Google’s Search is like your personal shopping assistant, here to help you make the smartest choices.

It’s like it takes a magnifying glass to all the products out there, zeroes in on the important stuff, and presents it to you in a neat little package. You’ll get a snapshot of everything you need to consider before hitting ‘buy’. It’s going to show you things like what people are saying about the product, the cost, and even pictures of the product – all in one place!

Now, you might wonder how Google does it. Here’s the cool part: Google has this mammoth library called the Shopping Graph. 

Think of it as the world’s biggest shopping catalog with over 35 billion product listings. It’s like if you took every item from every store in the world and put it in one place. And the best part? It’s always up-to-date, refreshing over 1.8 billion listings every single hour. So, no matter when you’re shopping, you’re always getting the freshest, most reliable results.

Your shopping experience is about to get a whole lot easier!

7. The generative AI capabilities in Search are being responsibly implemented, considering known limitations with AI and LLMs. Additional guardrails have been applied to uphold quality, such as limiting the types of queries where these capabilities will appear.

They know it’s not perfect, so they’ve set up some safeguards. You can think of these like the invisible walls in a game that stop you from wandering off the map. Hear what Google’s Vice President of Google Search Elizabeth Reid said to Bloomberg’s Ed Ludlow on this question.

But what if the AI makes a mistake or doesn’t quite nail the answer you’re looking for? Well, just like in a video game, there’s a way to check your progress. Google’s given you the option to see how the AI came up with its answers. You can dive deeper and see if the info checks out, just like checking a walkthrough when you’re stuck on a level.

So, even though Google’s using AI to supercharge their Search, they’re not handing over the keys to the castle just yet. They’re taking things slow, making sure this new AI is a useful tool and not a confusing mess.

8. The new feature is starting with an experiment in Search Labs, called SGE (Search Generative Experience), available on Chrome desktop and the Google App in the U.S. (English-only at launch). Signups for Search Labs are open, with access to SGE expected in the coming weeks.

Please note that it’s currently in its experimental phase in the Google playground known as Search Labs.

But there’s a catch, it’s only available in the U.S., and for now, it only speaks English. Think of it like a highly intelligent parrot learning a new language. It’s getting there, but it needs a bit more time to become a polyglot.

Just tap the Labs icon in the Google app or on your Chrome desktop. It’s like ringing the doorbell to Google’s secret lab. Express your interest and you’ll be one of the first to test the waters of this game-changing feature.

When I asked Chat GPT what it thinks about it, I think the response was pretty fair.

As an AI language model, I don’t have personal opinions or beliefs. However, I can provide an analysis based on the information available up until my last training data in September 2021.

The future of the generative search experience looks promising and transformative. Here are some key points:

Enhanced Understanding: Generative AI can help search engines understand complex queries better and provide more relevant, comprehensive responses. This could significantly improve the user experience by providing more accurate and detailed answers to intricate search queries.

Personalization: With advancements in AI, search experiences could become increasingly personalized. Generative AI can potentially tailor search results based on user’s specific context, preferences, and past searches.

Multimodal Searches: The integration of generative AI with multimodal search capabilities (i.e., using text, images, and voice for search queries) could redefine the way people interact with search engines. This could make searching more intuitive and dynamic.

Efficient Information Digest: Generative AI can help synthesize vast amounts of information into compact, digestible formats, saving users time and effort in searching and analyzing information.

Shopping and E-commerce: In the field of e-commerce, generative search experiences can provide more detailed product information, comparisons, and recommendations, enhancing the online shopping experience.

However, it’s also important to note potential challenges:

Reliability and Accuracy: Ensuring the reliability and accuracy of generative AI responses is crucial. Misinformation or inaccuracies could lead to user mistrust and pose potential ethical issues.

Data Privacy: As search engines become more personalized, concerns about data privacy and security could rise. Companies will need to balance personalization with user privacy.

Fairness and Bias: AI systems can potentially perpetuate existing biases if not properly designed and managed. Ensuring fairness in search results is an important challenge to address.

While the future of generative search experience seems to hold significant potential for improving the way we interact with information online, it also comes with its own set of challenges that will need to be thoughtfully addressed. I guess for now we’ll just wait and see.