Google announced on Tuesday that it will introduce AI answers to Internet queries, in one of the biggest changes to the world’s leading search engine in 25 years.
“I’m excited to announce that we’ll begin rolling out the AI Previews experience this week to everyone in the United States,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said during an event in California. He added that the change will soon spread to other countries, bringing it to more than a billion people.
Google search results will display an AI summary at the top of the page before delivering additional links. The AI display developed by Google’s Gemini technology will provide a brief summary of what they have seen on the Internet and a link to the Internet source that provided the information.
“You can ask for anything you want or need to do – from research to planning to brainstorming – and Google will do the work,” said the team leader. Liz Reid Google said. This move comes as Google is increasingly influenced by AI-powered search tools as confusing, with frequent rumors that OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is building its own AI search tool.
Search by AI chat has also appeared on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, allowing users to access information on the web without Google. Some people praise these alternatives for their pure experience rather than the question of the question that has been asked.
Producers and small publishers are nervous about the change, fearing that users will no longer go to the website to find information. Research firm Gartner predicts that web traffic from search engines will decrease by 25% by 2026 due to the use of AI bots.
Google has pushed back against the idea that AI interactions like ChatGPT could affect its business, which relies solely on selling ads from its search engines. “We found that with AI insights, people use search more and are happier with their results,” Reid said.
“You can ask your most complex questions, with all the nuances and caveats you have in mind, at the same time. »
The company says these artificial intelligence tools make users’ lives easier, whether they’re looking for a yoga studio that’s open on Sundays, planning a trip or preparing nutritious meals. special party. The company will soon begin testing AI applications for analytics based on video content as a query source, according to Reid.
For example, this will allow users to ask Google to identify a damaged device by taking a picture of it with the phone and get advice on how to repair it. “Project Astra”
Google also gave details of Project Astra, dedicated to creating digital assistants to make tasks large and small easier.
“For a long time, we want to create a universal AI user that can be useful in everyday life,” said Demis Hassabis, head of Google DeepMind. “It’s easy to imagine a future where you’ll have a professional assistant by your side through your phone or an exciting new model like a cup. »
AI agent capabilities will appear in Google products such as the Gemini app or Assistant this year, according to Hassabis.
Google is engaging in a fierce AI race with rivals including OpenAI, which released the GPT-4o version of its flagship software on Monday. GPT-4o can generate content or understand voice commands, text or images.
OpenAI’s development of its technology has proven to be highly interactive – able to make jokes, write music and help a student with algebra. Google, like OpenAI, also showed demonstrations of staff members asking its AI to recognize the environment through a smartphone camera and demonstrate other assistant-like skills.
These new capabilities are designed to be “conversational, intuitive and useful,” according to Gemini Experiences and Google Assistant general manager Sissie Hsiao. Turning digital assistants into a part of savvy is seen as the next battle for AI innovation, with Apple approaching OpenAI integration to use the power of ChatGPT on the iPhone, according to US media reports .
The deal could be in the middle of an important AI announcement expected from the iPhone maker at an event in California next month, and all eyes can update Siri, Apple’s digital assistant.
