Google Launches India-Tuned AI-Powered Search with Chatbot-like Experience
Google has announced the launch of an India-tuned version of its generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search engine. This new platform, called Search Generative Experience (SGE), aims to provide users with a chatbot-like experience, departing from the traditional search bar that Google has been widely known for.
The India-specific SGE will allow users to conduct searches in both English and Hindi languages. Moreover, it will offer voice readouts of search results as well as voice inputs for search queries, enhancing the overall user experience.
The introduction of SGE in India comes nearly four months after its global launch. Elizabeth Reid, Vice President and General Manager of Search at Google, expressed her excitement about the new search engine, stating that it opens up possibilities for answering a wider range of questions and revolutionizes the organization of information.
Puneesh Kumar, General Manager of Search for Google India, revealed that the SGE platform will be available for users who voluntarily choose to participate in the pilot. He further clarified that Google’s privacy and user data policies will remain unchanged, alleviating concerns regarding data usage and collection.
Notably, Google continues to dominate the global search engine market. Data from analytics platform Similarweb reveals that while Microsoft’s Bing registered 1.2 billion searches in the past 30 days, Google recorded a staggering 85.3 billion searches, leaving Microsoft with a mere 1.4% market share.
Kumar assured users that advertisements will still be integrated into SGE since they play a crucial role in Google’s revenue generation. As reported by Mint, ads on the Google Search platform contribute to nearly 80% of Alphabet’s annual revenue.
Google’s push to introduce a generative AI-based chatbot-style conversational search follows Microsoft’s release of a new version of Bing, powered by OpenAI’s large language model, GPT-4. Google’s research division, acclaimed for inventing transformer models, fell behind in the generative AI race. As a result, Google launched Performance Max, a generative AI platform for advertisers to create marketing campaigns for its Search platform.
Although Kumar did not confirm whether generative AI-powered ads would be included in the SGE platform, he affirmed that Google plans to expand its pilot project to more Indian languages in the future.
Industry experts view Google’s AI search platform as an attempt to monetize its generative AI efforts. Jaspreet Bindra, founder of tech consultancy firm Tech Whisperer, suggested that Google initially delayed deploying transformer models in its products due to the direct threat they posed to its extensive ad business.
Overall, with the launch of SGE, Google aims to enhance the search experience for Indian users, offering advanced features and improved convenience. As SGE expands to include more languages, it is expected to bring more diverse and tailored search experiences to users across India.
