Google has announced plans to incorporate advanced artificial intelligence technology into its search engine, citing the need to respond to the rapidly changing digital landscape and the threat to its position as the primary gateway to the internet. The decision to introduce AI comes after Microsoft’s Bing search engine began utilizing technology similar to that which powers the popular chatbot, ChatGPT. Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., already possesses its AI chatbot, Bard, powered by generative AI technology similar to that of ChatGPT. Wednesday, the company announced that Bard would be made available worldwide, expanding its current Japanese and Korean reach to include more than 40 languages.
According to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, the incorporation of AI in Google’s search engine would mark a turning point for the company and its products, including search. The AI technology would also be brought to other Google products, like Gmail and photos, with “Help Me Write” and “Magic Editor” respectively.
Google plans to exercise prudent caution in incorporating AI into the search engine, which reportedly generated more than $220 billion in revenue last year. The company seeks to traverse the fine line between innovation and reliability regarding search results, while also avoiding the pitfalls of AI that threaten to fabricate information. Bard and ChatGPT have shown results that border on “hallucinations” and could be misleading if left unchecked.
The newly developed search lab, which will incorporate generative AI in search results, will trigger the roll-out of AI-injected search results. Google will take a gradual approach to allow for the proper testing of the AI technology incorporated into the search engine to ensure that it doesn’t respond to sensitive issues, including health and financial matters. The AI results would be tagged as experimental technology and presented as factual rather than conversational, ensuring their adherence to Google’s policies.
Google acknowledges the increasing pressure on its search engine’s sustainability as Microsoft’s Bing seeks to adopt AI technology, forging a working relationship with ChatGPT. This move appears to have rattled Alphabet’s shares, as well as raising worries that Samsung could follow suit, causing the search engine giant’s revenue to plummet.
Despite the challenges, Google appears bullish about the prospects for the incorporation of AI, including how it might enhance Bard by connecting to a massive dataset characteristic of a “large language model.” Although it’s unclear how AI will impact search results, users will soon have access to a new feature called “Perspectives,” which will focus on analyzing what people are saying about a particular topic online.
During Google’s annual tech showcase, the company unveiled the first of its foldable smartphone design, allowing users to use the device as a mini-tablet. Three years after Samsung’s introduction of its flexi-screen smartphone, foldable phones have become niche products, with prices ranging from $1,500 to $2,000. Despite this, Google’s entry into the market and the incorporation of AI seems to have driven its share price to $111.75, a 4 % increase from the price recorded during the merger between Bing and ChatGPT. The foldable phone, priced at $1,800, is expected to be shipped next month.
