Google is launching several exciting updates to its Search Generative Experience (SGE), the AI-driven conversational feature that has been enhancing search for nearly three months. These new tools aim to help users comprehend the information they encounter online more effectively. Among the updates are features designed to provide definitions for unfamiliar terms, facilitate coding understanding across various languages, and enable interactions with SGE even while browsing.
According to Google, these advancements are focused on simplifying complex concepts, enhancing coding skills, and more.
A key new feature allows users to hover over specific terms to preview their definitions and view related images or diagrams. This capability will be integrated into Google’s AI-generated responses for subjects such as STEM, economics, and history—areas where users may face unfamiliar terminology or wish to deepen their understanding.
Competitor Bing Chat has a similar feature that permits users to highlight text and engage in a conversation to learn more about specific topics.
Another enhancement aims to support users seeking programming help through SGE. Google states that this update will streamline the process of understanding and debugging generated code. Currently, SGE provides AI-generated overviews that assist with various programming languages and tools, helping users address their how-to inquiries or access code snippets. With the update, syntax highlighting will color-code different code segments, making it easier to distinguish elements like keywords, comments, and strings.
The browsing feature offered by SGE represents an exciting addition. Currently in an early testing phase within Search Labs, this feature is accessible through the Google app on both Android and iOS devices, as well as later on Chrome for desktops. The tool is crafted to enhance user engagement with long-form content from creators and publishers, facilitating easier navigation for information retrieval.
For example, when visiting certain web pages, users can tap to generate an AI-curated list of key points in an article, complete with direct links to specific sections of interest. Additionally, the “Explore on Page” option reveals questions answered in the article, allowing users to jump straight to those relevant parts.
This feature bears resemblance to Google's existing content highlighting capability, which directs users to pertinent text based on search terms, but now utilizes AI to elevate the experience. Bing Chat also has a corresponding feature, enabling users to tap an icon while reading to request a summary of the content.
It’s important to note that Google has clarified this feature will not provide AI-generated summaries for paywalled content. Publishers have the option to block the feature by marking their content as paywalled through the Help Center.
Beyond Google and Bing, others are exploring AI-powered text summarization as well. The news app Artifact, created by Instagram’s founders, rolled out its own AI summary feature in April 2023.
Currently available as a standalone experiment in Search Labs, SGE while browsing will automatically roll out to users who have opted into SGE. These updates follow other enhancements, including the recent introduction of related videos and images for users' search queries. You can access Search Labs through the Google app on Android and iOS, as well as on Chrome for desktop users.
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