It was announced on stage at Google I/O today that Google Search is getting a generative AI panel right above the standard results page. Similar to Microsoft's Bing experience, there are a few things in this new panel, all designed to give you information at a glance while entering more natural search prompts. The experience is coming to Google Labs and will be rolling out in the coming weeks, and a waitlist is now open today in the latest version of the Google app and Chrome desktop.
Google's on-stage demo showcased a few ways this new experience will work. An initial prompt for "What’s better for a family with kids under three and a dog? Bryce Canyon or arches?" fired up that new integrated AI-generated snapshot pane with tons of useful results and links. The panel gave a clickable description breaking down a result and a recommendation for a park. The panel provided more useful links and suggestions for more searches within the topic.
If you're wondering, all results here were powered by Google's ranking and safety system and are designed to show richer information about the topic. This applies to shopping results, too. In a second demo, Google also showcased a shopping search for "good bike for a 5-mile commute with hills." In the AI-powered snapshot of his experience, the search engine showcased a snapshot of product considerations, reviews of product suggestions with links, and ads with clear labels. The experience even has options for follow-up questions or next-step suggestions. Check it out in the video below.
The final demo revealed Google Search's new conversational mode. In this mode, you can ask follow-up questions about a product without having to go back to the initial search. The search experience stays contextual to what your original question was, while still staying contextual enough for you to scroll to see the other results and your previous prompts. You'll even see current prices, deals, and other retail options.
Other tweaks to Search powered by AI help make it more useful for creating names for things, creating social clubs, and testing your knowledge on certain topics.