Generative AI Search: Google's Intelligent Content Platform

Google is bringing the power of generative AI to its search platform, offering users a new way to discover, visualize, and create content.

The company began rolling out a generative AI-powered search experience to select users in the United States on October 12, stating in a blog post that this update is the result of its ongoing efforts to make the search engine smarter and more intuitive over the years.

What is Google SGE and how does it work?

SGE allows Google users to generate AI-generated images and text by typing prompts into the Google search bar. It works similarly to AI-driven text-to-image generators like Midjourney and DALL-E 2, and competes with Microsoft's GPT-4-powered Bing Chat.

Google states that SGE can be helpful when users are looking for specific images that are not found in traditional search results or when they want to visualize something.

Users who opt into SGE will see an option to create AI-generated images directly in Google Images during the testing phase. Google explains that this feature is designed to appear when users are seeking inspiration, such as "minimalist Halloween table settings" or "creative ghost dog houses." Users can then fine-tune the results by modifying the descriptions.

"Click on any of the images and you'll see how generative AI expands on your initial query with descriptive details, like 'a realistic image of a cap-wearing capybara frying bacon and making breakfast in the forest,'" Google explains. "From there, you can further edit the description, adding more details to bring your idea to life. Maybe you want to see a capybara chef making potato pancakes, or you want to add a light blue background with clouds."

SGE's image generation capability is only available to participating users who are 18 years or older during the trial phase.

SGE builds on several major AI advancements made by Google in recent years, including the BERT natural language processing engine and the more powerful Multitask Unified Model (MUM), which is reported to be 1,000 times more powerful than BERT.

According to Google, SGE is supported by various language models, including MUM and an advanced version of PaLM2, which was a focus at Google I/O 2023.

Google has made significant efforts to position this technology as the centerpiece of its flagship product, the Google Pixel 8, leveraging the growing consumer interest in artificial intelligence.

Google SGE can help users create written content

Similar to Google Bard and competing platforms like ChatGPT, SGE can also help users generate written content.

Google provides an example of someone seeking home improvement advice. "After finding useful ideas online and contractors you'd like to reach out to, you can have SGE 'write a letter to the contractor asking for a quote to convert my garage into a home office,'" Google says.

SGE drafts a letter based on the prompts, which users can modify in terms of length, tone, or language. The content can then be exported to Google Docs or Gmail.

Google is building content safety measures

Google acknowledges the potential safety issues associated with using generative AI and AI-generated content. As a result, it is implementing safety measures to prevent the use of images that violate its policies, including any content deemed harmful or misleading.

All images generated by SGE will have watermarks and metadata indicating that they were generated by AI. Another upcoming Google tool, "About This Image," will provide users with better insights into the "background and credibility" of the images, including when Google first encountered the image or similar versions and other web pages that use similar images, including news or fact-checking websites.

The future applications of SGE

Looking ahead, Google hopes that SGE will assist people in situations where they need various contextual or situational information, such as when shopping or searching for local services. In these scenarios, the search generator will pull product information, such as reviews, prices, and images, or relevant information about local places from Google's Shopping Graph to help consumers make comparisons.

SGE will also be used to display ads in search results, as disclosed in Google's documentation about SGE.

The role that generative AI will play in this context is not yet clear, but it suggests that any ads will be clearly labeled to distinguish them from organic results. "As search applies the power of generative AI, search ads will continue to play a critical role," Google says.

"In this new experience, advertisers will continue to have the opportunity to reach potential customers throughout their search journey. As we learn, we'll continue to test and improve the ad experience. And as always, we're committed to transparency and making ads distinct from organic search results."