Google’s AI-powered search engine takes a significant leap forward with the integration of chatbot capabilities, enabling users to engage in intelligent conversations and experience enhanced user experience.
Google Embeds AI Chatbot in Search Engine for Enhanced User Experience
A new artificial intelligence (AI) mode is being made available by Google, firmly embedding chatbot capabilities into its search engine. This move aims to provide users with the experience of having a conversation with an expert. The ‘AI Mode‘ appeared as an option in Google’s search bar, marking a significant step for the tech giant.
Google was first launched in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University.
Initially, the search engine was called Backrub but was later renamed to Google, a play on the word 'googol'.
In 2000, Google introduced AdWords, which revolutionized online advertising.
By 2015, Google had grown into a multinational conglomerate with a market value of over $1 trillion.
Today, Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., offering a range of services including search, cloud computing, and hardware products.
Key Features and Implications
The incorporation of Google’s Gemini chatbot into its search signalled a ‘new phase of the AI platform shift,’ according to Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Alphabet. With this mode, users can ask more complex queries, benefiting from advanced reasoning capabilities.
Sundar Pichai is an Indian-American business executive and the current CEO of Google.
Born on June 12, 1972, in Madras, India, he earned a degree in metallurgical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Pichai joined Google in 2004 and quickly rose through the ranks, leading the development of Android operating system.
He became CEO of Google in 2015 and has since overseen significant innovations, including the development of Google Assistant and Cloud services.
Google also announced plans for augmented reality (AR) glasses and a subscription AI tool. These developments aim to help the company remain competitive against ChatGPT and other AI services threatening its dominance in online search.
Enhanced Search Experience
The new features are expected to minimize the number of web pages users need to sift through, while allowing them to ask more complicated queries. This should result in less time spent browsing the web and more time spent interacting with Google’s AI tools.
According to Leo Gebbie, a principal analyst at CCS Insight, these updates hold critical importance for Google, as the search business contributes the majority of its revenues. However, this push into AI could fundamentally change the nature of its search engine, potentially impacting profits.
Mixed Results from Recent AI Integrations
Google has had mixed success in its recent attempts to incorporate more AI into its services. Its AI Overviews feature, unveiled last year, generated some ridicule among users due to odd responses, such as advising users that non-toxic glue could help make cheese stick to pizza. Despite this, the feature has seen significant adoption, with 1.5 billion uses per month across over 200 countries and territories.
The success of AI Overviews is a positive sign for Google’s AI strategy, with Sundar Pichai stating that it is one of the most successful launches in search in the past decade.
