Google is conducting a secret test of AI search results with regular users, as reported by ExBulletin. The company is quietly expanding Search Generative Experiences (SGE) to non-test users, potentially giving more Google users a quick taste of Google’s AI-assisted search capabilities.
SGE appears as a colorfully tinted text pop-up directly below Google’s search bar, providing a summary of Google’s results and a simplified answer. This feature essentially turns the Google search bar into a prompt form for a Google search chatbot.
According to Search Engine Land, Google will roll out a version of SGE to some users without requiring opt-in, appearing for only a small subset of queries in U.S. search traffic. This test aims to assess the AI’s responses to more complex queries and questions that may benefit from information sourced from various web pages.
This move is part of Google’s larger initiative to enhance its search capabilities using AI. The company has been working on implementing AI-powered services, introducing new features in Chrome, and eliminating low-quality spam content from search results pages.
In May 2023, Google announced its venture into AI-powered search, describing it as AI-powered snapshots of important information to consider, and links to dig deeper. While tests of this feature have shown mixed results, the company is determined to explore how users who haven’t opted into SGE respond to AI-assisted search results.
The ultimate goal of this test is to gather direct feedback from users who may not be initially interested in AI technology to evaluate its usefulness and impact. This approach will help Google understand how AI can enhance the search experience for all users in the future.
