Google Reshapes Online Search with Artificial Intelligence

AI Overviews Combined with Interactive Mode

Google Reshapes Online Search with Artificial Intelligence

Amidst the intensifying competition in the artificial intelligence world, Google announced a new feature testing that integrates AI Overviews, the smart summaries displayed at the top of search results, with AI Mode, a mode that enables interactive conversation with the Gemini system.

With this change, users will be able to start with the smart summary they receive during a search and then continue their inquiry and delve deeper through a direct conversational interface without having to switch to another tab, a move aimed at making the search process smoother and more seamless.

Google launched AI Mode in the United States last May before rolling it out globally in August, offering a conversational experience similar to ChatGPT, allowing users to ask a series of questions and explore information interactively, according to a report published by TechCrunch.

However, the previous drawback was that users had to decide beforehand: Did they want to conduct a quick, traditional search? Or is it planning to pose a series of questions that require a deeper conversation? That's what Google is trying to change today.

According to the company, the search process itself can evolve from a simple question to a desire for greater understanding, hence the integration.

Google says the new test will allow users to "smoothly delve" into AI Mode directly from the results page. The feature is currently being tested globally, but only on mobile devices.

This move comes at a time when OpenAI is reprioritizing and prioritizing improvements to the conversational experience on its platform. Meanwhile, Gemini is experiencing remarkable growth, reaching over 650 million monthly active users as of November, while AI Overviews boasts over 2 billion monthly active users.

Robbie Stein, Vice President of Product at Google Search, believes users shouldn't have to worry about where or how to ask their questions. He emphasizes that the future vision for search is: ask anything, in any format, and you'll get an answer without complications.