Searching for information on the internet has been a big part of everyday life for quite some time. With advances in artificial intelligence, Google has been constantly working to improve the search experience. For instance, Google came up with updates such as BERT that allowed Google to increasingly understand the context of search queries. The latest developments involve the integration of generative AI into search, a feature called the "SGE" or generative AI-powered Search Experience.
Generating images
With the new generative AI feature, users can now create and edit images with searches in Google Search. For example, if someone searches for an image of a capybara wearing a chef's hat making breakfast, the SGE can display up to four generated images with detailed descriptions. Users can then further edit these descriptions to bring their vision to life.
Google is also introducing a feature to elaborate written ideas with a search. Users can request to elaborate ideas on certain topics they are researching or working on. For example, requesting to write an e-mail to a contractor for converting a garage into a home office. These elaborations can then be easily exported to Google Documents or Gmail.
Abuse
Google has stressed the importance of using this technology responsibly. Safeguards have been built in to prevent the creation of images that violate generative AI policies, such as harmful or misleading content. Also, all images generated by SGE will be marked with metadata and watermarks to indicate that they were created by AI. Currently, this feature is only available in English in the US and for users over 18 years old. When this feature will be introduced in the Netherlands, Google cannot yet say.
The integration of generative AI into Google's search function promises to be an exciting evolution in the world of Google search. It will allow users to not only find information, but also generate and customise visual and written content based on their needs.
