Google Search Set For 'Pretty Dramatic Shift' With Gemini AI Integration, Says Executive

Google by Alphabet Inc. GOOGL GOOG is preparing to revolutionize its search experience with a host of new features powered by its Gemini AI models. These changes, announced on Friday, are set to take Google Search beyond its traditional format.

What Happened: The most notable update involves an AI-driven layout that organizes search results, giving prominence to videos, forum links, and widgets. Rhiannon Bell, Google’s vice president of user experience, described this as a “pretty dramatic shift” from previous designs. Initially, this will be applied to open-ended queries like recipe searches, with plans to expand to other topics.

The revamped search page will first be available on mobile devices, with expectations for future desktop integration. Bell emphasized that the new experience is designed for exploration and inspiration, particularly when no definitive answer exists.

Google will also enhance its Lens feature, allowing users to interact with their environment using their phone’s camera. Lens will now provide detailed information, including reviews and price comparisons, for shopping-related searches, which account for 20% of all Lens queries, as noted by product director Lou Wang.

Why It Matters: The introduction of these AI-driven features comes at a crucial time for Google. Google‘s Gemini AI additions were unveiled at its I/O Conference earlier this year, marking a strategic move to fend off rising competition from OpenAI‘s SearchGPT. This new AI-driven search engine is poised to challenge Google’s longstanding dominance in the market.

Former Google engineer Arvind Jain, now CEO of Glean, has pointed out that Google’s focus on profitability has led to a decline in user experience, particularly on mobile devices where ads have become overwhelming. This has opened the door for new competitors, making Google’s latest AI innovations a timely response to maintain its competitive edge.

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