Google Injects Generative AI Into Its Search Engine, Which Can Now 'Search For You'

At its I/O 2024 event, Google announced several new features for its services, including its mighty search engine. When it comes to its star product, the company shared that queries in Google Search will be quite different going forward.

Unsurprisingly, generative AI is the cornerstone of this change. The new fusion of generative AI with Google Search means users have to say goodbye to traditional results, which for years have been characterized with 10 blue links surrounded by snippets.

Why does it matter? Google is the unmistakeable king of search and its search engine is Alphabet’s core business. It’s the primary way billions of people access the web and discover content. Few changes in the online world have as much impact as those made by Google.

Overview. Google is integrating Gemini into its search results. It will no longer just return links and snippets when we type in keywords but also provide elaborate answers to natural language queries.

The new face of Google Search will have an interface similar to snippets but have its own entity. Furthermore, these synthetic results will be tailored to what the user is asking for. Some examples:

• “Explain the relationship between lightning and thunder.” The first result will be a text box that briefly explains the relationship.
• “Create a plan of three easy-to-prepare meals for a group.” Users will see three suggestions with the image of each recipe. They'll be able to replace any of them if one of the suggestions isn't to their liking and will be presented with instructions to prepare each recipe.
• “Find the best yoga schools in Boston, with at least a 4.1 average rating, within a half-hour walk from my office.” The search will focus on showing yoga schools that fit this description.

In other words, Google Search will now have the capacity to combine maps, links, and other type of information to help users plan their activities. The examples are very concrete. They are specific functions developed by Google for these results.

Searching with video. With the addition of Gemini into Google Search, users will now be able to attach videos for queries that are  that are complicated to describe in words. For example, if someone uploads a video of a broken electronic device, the search engine can try to detect what went wrong and tell you how to repair it.

Gradual roll-out. These new features will initially be available in English in the U.S., but the company has plans to roll them out in other regions and languages in the future. You can sign up to Google's Search Labs if you're interested in getting early access to these features.

Images | Google | Mockuuups Studio | Xataka