Google is known for its innovation and excellence in search engine technology. For the past 25 years, Google has been developing new ways to search, powered by its latest advancements in AI. Whether it’s searching visually with Lens, or across modalities, using both images and text with multisearch, Google has been reimagining what a search engine can do.
Now, Google is taking another leap forward with its new generative AI capabilities in Search. With this powerful new technology, Google can unlock entirely new types of questions that you never thought Search could answer, and transform the way information is organized, to help you sort through and make sense of what’s out there.
In this blog article, you will discover everything you need to know about Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google, the new generative AI feature that can answer complex and multi-step queries. You will learn about its main benefits and features, how it operates, it's overall impact on market, how you can try it out, and what are its drawbacks.
What is Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google?
Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google is a set of search and interface capabilities that integrates generative AI-powered results into Google search engine query responses1. Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that can create new content or data from scratch, such as text, images, audio, or video.
With SGE, Google can generate overviews, summaries, descriptions, comparisons, suggestions, and follow-up questions for your searches, using its deep understanding of natural language and the web. SGE can also help you explore a topic in a conversational way, by carrying over context from question to question. SGE can also help you shop online by providing you with product snapshots that include relevant reviews, ratings, prices, and images.
SGE is an experimental feature that Google is testing with a limited number of users who opt-in to Search Labs. Search Labs is a new way to access early experiments in Search on Chrome desktop and the Google app (Android and iOS) in the U.S. (English-only at launch).
Key Features of Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google
Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google has several key features that make it unique and useful for users who want to get more information and context for their searches.
- AI-powered overviews: SGE can quickly provide you with the gist of a topic with factors to consider and pointers to explore more. For example, if you search for “what’s better for a family with kids under 3 and a dog, bryce canyon or arches”, SGE will give you an AI-generated snapshot of key information to consider, such as distance, weather, activities, fees, pet policies, etc., with links to dig deeper.
- Follow-up questions: SGE can also suggest follow-up questions that you can ask to dive deeper into a topic. For example, if you search for “how to make pizza dough”, SGE will offer you questions like “What kind of flour should I use?” or “How long should I let the dough rise?” When you tap on these questions, SGE will take you to a new conversational mode where you can ask more questions about the topic.
- Product snapshots: SGE can also help you shop online by giving you product descriptions that include relevant reviews, ratings, prices, and product images. For example, if you search for “best laptops for gaming”, SGE will show you a snapshot of noteworthy factors to consider and products that fit the bill. SGE will also generate product descriptions that include up-to-date reviews, ratings, prices and product images from Google’s Shopping Graph, which has more than 35 billion product listings.
Main benefits of Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google
Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google has many capabilities and use cases that can benefit users who want to learn more about a topic, find answers to their questions, or shop online.
Some of the benefits of SGE are:
- Learning: SGE facilitates knowledge acquisition by offering AI-generated overviews, summaries, comparisons, and suggestions to users. For instance, if a user seeks to enhance their understanding of the history of the Olympics, SGE can present a concise overview encompassing the origin, evolution, and significance of the event. Additionally, it can propose related topics for exploration, such as the Olympic symbols, the Olympic motto, or the Olympic records.
- Answering: SGE aids users in obtaining answers to their queries through the generation of follow-up questions and conversational responses. For instance, if a user requires guidance on fixing a leaky faucet, SGE can inquire about specifics like the type of faucet or the location of the leak. Subsequently, it can provide a step-by-step walkthrough to address the issue.
- Shopping: SGE facilitates online shopping experiences for users by furnishing them with comprehensive product snapshots containing relevant reviews, ratings, prices, and images. For instance, if a user intends to purchase a new camera, SGE can display a snapshot of the most suitable cameras based on their requirements. Additionally, it can generate product descriptions that incorporate current reviews, ratings, prices, and images sourced from Google's Shopping Graph.
How does Search Generative Experience (SGE) operate?
Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) operates by harnessing the power of generative AI models to create fresh content and data across various formats, including text, images, audio, and video. These models undergo extensive training using vast amounts of data gathered from the internet and other sources. As a result, they become proficient in producing coherent and relevant responses tailored to different types of queries.
SGE employs distinct generative AI models for specific tasks. To generate overviews and summaries, it utilizes a model known as T5 (Text-to-Text Transfer Transformer). This versatile model can transform any text input into an appropriate text output. When it comes to generating product descriptions, SGE relies on BigGAN (Big Generative Adversarial Network), a model capable of generating lifelike images based on textual descriptions of objects. For follow-up questions and conversational responses, SGE utilizes Meena (Multi-turn Open-domain Chatbot), a model designed to engage in natural and meaningful conversations with humans.
Furthermore, SGE capitalizes on Google's existing search engine infrastructure and advanced capabilities, including indexing, ranking, crawling, natural language understanding, knowledge graph, and shopping graph. By leveraging these resources, SGE ensures the delivery of high-quality results and diverse perspectives to users.
How can you try it out?
Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google is an experimental feature that is currently available only to a limited number of users who opt-in to Search Labs. Search Labs is a new way to access early experiments in Search on Chrome desktop and the Google app (Android and iOS) in the U.S. (English-only at launch).
To access and use SGE, you need to do the following steps:
- Sign up for Search Labs by visiting https://labs.withgoogle.com/sge/ or tapping the Labs icon in the latest version of the Google app (Android or iOS) or on Chrome desktop.
- Join the waitlist for SGE by filling out a form with your name and email address.
- Wait for an email confirmation from Google that you have been selected to try SGE.
- Once you receive the confirmation email, open the Google app or Chrome desktop and search for anything you want to explore with SGE.
- Enjoy the new search experience with generative AI and provide feedback to Google to help them improve it.
SGE is free to use for anyone who joins Search Labs. However, it is not open source, and it is subject to Google’s terms of service and privacy policy. SGE is also experimental and may not always provide accurate or complete information.
With SGE by Google, you can get AI-powered overviews and ask follow-up questions, right in Search.
Here is an example of how SGE by Google looks like on a desktop browser:
As you can see, SGE by Google displays an AI-generated answer above the search results listings, with a label that says “Generative AI is experimental”. The answer is based on the websites that Google used to generate it, and you can click on them to dig deeper. You can also click on the expand button at the top right to see more answers from the generative AI.
You can also ask follow-up questions in a conversational way, by clicking on the suggested prompts below the search bar or typing your own question. SGE by Google will carry over the context from your previous questions and give you relevant answers. You can also access web content and perspectives that you can explore further.
Impact of SGE on Market
Google's innovative technology, known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), has the potential to significantly impact diverse industries and markets in both positive and negative ways. On the positive side, SGE has the capability to unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike, offering them valuable information and context during their search endeavors. This advancement proves especially beneficial for content creators, bloggers, researchers, educators, and students, enabling them to delve deeper into various topics, find answers to their queries, and generate fresh ideas. Moreover, SGE empowers online shoppers to effortlessly discover the best products and deals tailored to their needs, while simultaneously helping sellers expand their customer base and boost sales. Furthermore, the introduction of SGE stimulates innovation and competition not only within the search engine industry but also within other interconnected sectors like AI, cloud computing, e-commerce, and telecommunications.
Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge the potential challenges and threats that SGE may present to businesses and consumers. One notable concern is the potential decline in demand for products or services that become obsolete or less valuable due to the emergence of generative AI results through SGE. Additionally, the implementation of SGE gives rise to ethical, legal, and social issues regarding the accuracy, reliability, transparency, accountability, and potential bias of the generative AI outcomes. Furthermore, SGE could potentially increase users' reliance and vulnerability on Google's services and data, prompting concerns about privacy and security. Lastly, the introduction of SGE has the potential to disrupt the existing power dynamics and influence within the search engine market, as well as in related sectors like AI, cloud computing, e-commerce, and telecommunications.
As we witness the transformative impact of SGE, it is crucial to evaluate its implications on various fronts. Businesses and consumers must navigate the advantages and disadvantages that accompany this new search experience. In order to stay informed and address these challenges, continuous research, dialogue, and adaptation will be necessary. By embracing this technological progress responsibly, we can harness the potential of SGE to shape a better future for all.
Drawbacks
Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google is a promising and exciting feature that can enhance the search experience for users. However, it also has some limitations that users should be aware of.
Some of the drawbacks are:
- Availability: SGE is currently available only to a limited number of users who opt-in to Search Labs. It is also only available in the U.S. (English-only at launch). Google has not announced when or if SGE will be available to more users or regions.
- Quality: SGE is an experimental feature that uses generative AI models that are still in development. Therefore, SGE may not always provide accurate, relevant, or comprehensive information for every query. SGE also clearly labels its generative AI results as experimental and encourages users to verify the information with other sources.
- Bias: SGE uses generative AI models that are trained on large amounts of data from the web and other sources. Therefore, SGE may inherit or amplify some of the biases or errors that exist in the data. SGE also may not reflect the diversity of opinions or perspectives that exist on a topic.
Conclusion
Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google is a new feature that uses generative AI to provide users with more information and context for their searches. SGE can generate overviews, summaries, descriptions, comparisons, suggestions, and follow-up questions for various topics and queries. SGE can also help users shop online by providing them with product snapshots that include relevant reviews, ratings, prices, and images.
SGE is an experimental feature that is currently available only to a limited number of users who opt-in to Search Labs on Chrome desktop and the Google app (Android and iOS) in the U.S. (English-only at launch). SGE is free to use but not open-source and subject to Google’s terms of service and privacy policy.
SGE is a novel and innovative feature that has no direct competitors in the market. However, it also has some limitations such as availability, quality, and bias that users should be aware of.
In conclusion, SGE is a new era of search that can unlock entirely new types of questions that you never thought Search could answer, and transform the way information is organized, to help you sort through and make sense of what’s out there.
source
wait list - https://labs.withgoogle.com/sge/
blog post - https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-search/
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