TL;DR:
- Google’s AI-powered search experience, SGE, is now available in over 120 countries and territories.
- SGE introduces support for Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Indonesian languages.
- Users can engage in natural language conversations with AI, receiving detailed answers instead of links.
- Ongoing enhancements include AI summaries of paywalled articles, improved translations, and definitions for specialized topics.
- A new feature allows follow-up questions directly from search results, optimizing user engagement.
- The translation feature enables users to select word meanings, increasing accuracy.
- Definitions for unfamiliar terms in various educational fields are now accessible.
- Google is committed to expanding its generative AI search globally.
Main AI News:
Google’s AI-driven search experience, known as SGE (Search Generative Experience), is making its global debut, following its initial launch in select markets such as the United States, India, and Japan. As of today, this innovative conversational AI experience is accessible in more than 120 new countries and territories worldwide, bolstered by support for four additional languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Indonesian.
These new languages complement the existing lineup, which includes English, Hindi, and Japanese. Furthermore, SGE is receiving various minor enhancements, initially rolling out in the United States. These improvements encompass the ability to ask follow-up questions and utilize features like translations and definitions, enhancing the overall user experience.
Launched earlier this year, SGE represents Google’s response to Bing Chat, an AI chatbot experience powered by OpenAI available through Bing search and Microsoft’s Edge browser. Similar to Bing Chat, SGE empowers web users to engage with AI using natural language. Users can pose inquiries and receive comprehensive responses, departing from the traditional list of links that Google has historically provided. Instead, they receive fully articulated answers replete with references.
Since its debut, SGE has seen a continuous stream of updates and additions, further enriching its capabilities. These include AI-generated summaries of paywalled articles, explanations of terminology in specialized fields like STEM, economics, and history, as well as refinements in its coding-related responses. Additionally, users can now generate images and draft content, making SGE a versatile tool. Recently, Google also expanded access to SGE for U.S. teenagers aged 13 to 17.
In addition to the global expansion, Google is introducing a new feature that enables users to pose follow-up questions directly from the search results page. This enhancement aims to facilitate a deeper exploration of topics while ensuring the continued relevance of Google’s advertising business in the era of AI-powered search. Initially, this feature will be available in the United States in English, with further rollouts expected in the coming weeks.
Another notable improvement relates to SGE’s translation feature. When users request translations for phrases with multiple possible meanings, they can now select the intended meaning for each word. This feature, initially available for English-to-Spanish translations in the United States, will expand to more countries in the future.
A smaller refinement involves the newly introduced definitions feature, allowing users to request explanations for unfamiliar terms found in AI-generated overviews of educational topics. In addition to science, economics, and history, users can now seek definitions in fields like coding and health information. When available, these terms will be highlighted, allowing users to preview the definition and related images. This feature will initially roll out in the United States, with further international availability in the coming month.
Hema Budaraju, Google’s Senior Director of Product Management for Search, expressed enthusiasm about the progress made, stating, “We’re at the beginning of a long arc of innovation, and we’re excited by the progress so far. Now, even more people around the world can use generative AI in Search of everyday help, and we look forward to expanding to even more countries in the future.”
For reference, the extensive list of countries and territories gaining access to SGE includes:
- American Samoa
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo [DRC]
- Congo [Republic]
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- French Guiana
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Mongolia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Puerto Rico
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Uganda
- United States Minor Outlying Islands
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Western Sahara
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Conclusion:
Google’s global expansion of its AI-driven search experience, SGE, with support for additional languages and innovative features, signifies a significant advancement in the search market. This move solidifies Google’s position as a leader in conversational search and emphasizes the importance of AI-powered user interactions. As the search landscape evolves, businesses need to adapt their digital strategies to cater to users seeking more meaningful and informative search results, driven by conversational AI.
