Google Introduces Generative AI to Core Search Engine, Following Microsoft’s GPT-4 Integration.
Google has recently revealed its implementation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) within its primary search engine. This development comes in response to Microsoft’s incorporation of GPT-4 into its Bing search engine earlier this year.
The new Search Generative Experience, a component of Google, will generate responses to open-ended queries, according to the company’s announcement. However, the system is currently in an “experimental” phase and will only be accessible to a limited number of users.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet, stated, “We are reimagining all of our core products, including search,” highlighting the company’s commitment to enhancing its offerings.
In addition, Google also unveiled a new feature for its Android system, set to be launched this summer. This feature aims to proactively alert users about unidentified AirTags, which are small devices designed to track personal belongings such as keys and wallets. The announcement follows last week’s joint effort by Apple and Google to address concerns related to AirTag misuse.
Notably, last year, two women filed a lawsuit against Apple regarding AirTag stalking incidents. Women who have experienced tracking through these devices have expressed their concerns about the lack of preventive measures being taken, as shared in their interviews.
Google Unveils Latest AI Advancements and Innovative Hardware at Annual Developer Conference
During its annual developer conference, Google showcased its cutting-edge artificial intelligence advancements and introduced new hardware offerings. One notable device is a foldable phone priced at $1,799 (£1,425), designed to open and close like a book.
A major announcement was the removal of the waitlist for “Bard,” Google’s experimental conversational chat service. The company plans to launch Bard in English across 180 countries and territories, emphasizing its global reach. Additionally, the chatbot will soon be capable of responding to prompts with both text and images.
Google has been under scrutiny to enhance its AI capabilities, given the remarkable success of Microsoft’s funded chatbot, ChatGPT. In February, Google faced a setback when an advertisement meant to demonstrate Bard’s capabilities backfired due to an incorrect response, resulting in a $100 billion (£82 billion) drop in Alphabet’s share value. This incident highlights the high stakes involved as investors closely observe the AI ventures of tech giants.
Microsoft is incorporating ChatGPT technology into its search engine, Bing, following significant investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Chinese tech giant Baidu also possesses its own chatbot named Ernie.
Chirag Dekate, an analyst at Gartner, acknowledged Google’s leadership in the industry and expressed optimism about its potential to thrive in the AI domain. “Google has the tools to dominate the AI battles; the perennial question is – will they?” he remarked.