Google to roll out SGE in India for genAI-enabled search on Chrome

Tech giant Google on Thursday will roll out its generative artificial intelligence (AI) experiment of Search Labs called Search Generative Experience (SGE) in India to improve the search results on Chrome.

It will also introduce a new conversational style of queries.
 

With breakthroughs in generative AI, Google is relooking at new applications for search engines. The new technological capability can unlock new types of questions that Search could answer while revamping the way information is organised, the company said.

This will help users sift through data and make sense of the output with more clarity. The SGE experiment will be available to opted-in users on Chrome desktop from Thursday. It will be rolled out on the Google App on Android and the iOS in the coming week.

Google has also introduced other features that are unique to SGE in India.
 

For instance, a person can switch from an English result to Hindi by tapping the language toggle button and listen to the response with “Text-To-Speech” by tapping the “Listen” button.
 

Consumers will soon be able to tap the microphone icon in conversational mode to ask follow-up questions instead of typing them.

The conversational mode will enable users to intuitively learn more about the topic they are exploring.
 

Context will be carried over from question to question, to help people more naturally continue their exploration.
 

Apart from the overview, the users will see suggested next steps where they can simply tap a query like “How to take great photos on a trek?”, or type in a specific follow-up question.
 

In the new generative AI experience, search ads will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the page.

The search engine will continue to distinguish advertisements from organic search results. 
 

When search ads do appear, they will continue to feature their industry-leading clear and transparent ad labels with the “Spon­sored” label in bold black text.
 

“With new generative AI capabilities in Search, we’re now taking more of the work out of searching. We’re envisioning a supercharged Search that does the heavy lifting for you so you’ll be able to understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily,” said Puneesh Kumar, general manager, Google Search, India.
 

With the new generative AI capabilities in Search, people will see an overview of key information to consider, with links to dig deeper.
 

The tool is helpful, especially for new internet users, who may often get overwhelmed with the amount of information online, finding an answer more quickly can help ease their journey of discovery.
 

For instance, a question like “Which is a good beginner trek in Himachal and how to prepare for it?” Normally, one might break this one question down into smaller ones, sort through the vast information available, and start to piece things together themselves. With generative AI, Search can do some of that heavy lifting, Google said in a statement.
 

“The SGE is the first step we’re taking in this journey, and part of our vision to make Search radically more helpful. We’re excited to bring this to India and look forward to receiving feedback and iterating on the experience alongside our users over the next few months,” Kumar added.

Searching for more

- Users can opt-in to use web search with conversational queries

- New Search to offer AI-powered suggestions on related info

- Context will be carried over from question to question

- The Search Lab modified for India-focused features and Hindi queries