Google Expands Search Generative Experience (SGE) Outside the US with India and Japan Launch
Google is making a significant move by launching its Search Generative Experience (SGE) in India and Japan, marking its expansion beyond the United States. While Google may have been slightly late in adopting generative AI, the tech giant is now testing a new AI-powered version of its search engine known as SGE.
This generative AI search engine, unveiled earlier this month, aims to simplify codes and shorten lengthy articles. In a recent blog post, Hema Budaraju, Google’s Senior Director of Product Management, Search, confirmed that SGE is headed to India and Japan. The introduction of SGE in these countries will help Google better understand how the AI search engine performs in different languages.
In India, SGE will support both Hindi and English languages. The app will also provide voice search and audio responses for enhanced user experience. However, users in both India and Japan will have to opt into using SGE to explore its benefits.
Google is continuously working to enhance how generative AI responses present links to web pages. The company has introduced drop-down menus with arrows next to generative AI answers. These menus will display the websites Google obtained information from to generate its responses.
Early users of SGE have expressed high satisfaction rates, particularly among users aged between 18 and 24 years old. According to Budaraju, these users appreciate the suggested follow-up questions that help them refine their searches. They also tend to ask longer, more conversational questions in full sentences, as the generative AI in Search assists them in quickly finding what they need.
The introduction of SGE has opened up new opportunities for Google to be helpful and provide valuable information to its users. Budaraju highlights that people are now attempting queries they never thought possible before. This also presents opportunities for Google to collaborate with leading companies like Samsung, which also has plans to introduce generative AI in the future.
Addressing concerns about the impact on its ad business, Google assures that users can still find ads either above or below the large SGE box on the screen. Ads are a significant source of revenue for Google, and it is essential to ensure their coexistence with the SGE box.
While Google is testing SGE, Microsoft has already been offering a generative AI-backed version of its Bing search engine for quite some time. It remains to be seen whether Microsoft gains market share with its generative AI capabilities or if Google will maintain its dominance in the search space.
SGE was initially introduced as an experiment in Search Labs but is now available on Chrome desktop as well as the latest version of the Google App on Android and iOS. Starting from today, users can opt-in to try out SGE and provide feedback directly to the teams behind it. The rollout to the Google App on Android and iOS will occur gradually over the coming week.
Google’s expansion of SGE to India and Japan demonstrates the company’s commitment to incorporating generative AI into its search engine. With the introduction of SGE, users can expect a more simplified and efficient search experience, enabling them to find the information they need faster and more effectively.
