Google I/O 2023 brings many new AI-powered features and improvements that are making their way to the company’s products and services, and the firm has already begun a public preview of some of these features.
The Google announce handy new AI tools that are centred around its search service, a Duet AI tool for Workspace apps like Google Docs, and an app aimed at students.
You can now try out the new SGE (Search Generative Experience) that infuses search results with conversational AI responses, or automatically generate paragraphs of text using Google Docs and Gmail.
In addition to these two services, you can also test out Project Tailwind, which is to be an “AI-first notebook” that can help students study.
Google will also allow you to test another service that was not announce during the Google I/O 2023 keynote, called MusicLM.
This tool lets you generate music you want to listen to by providing a text prompt.
It is worth noting that these new features are currently in public preview and it’s likely that you won’t be able to use them to their full potential.
You might also encounter some bugs or errors while trying out these services.
AI Labs testing is only available in specific regions, so depending on where you live, you may have to wait until Google expands access to your region.
Google indicate that SGE testing is currently open to users in the US.
How to Sign Up for Access to Google’s New AI features via Google AI Labs?
- Visit the Google AI Labs website.
- Under the Available in Labs section, look for the AI-powered feature you’re interested in.
- Click on the Learn more to understand how the feature works.
- Click on Join waitlist.
- Repeat the same process for any other new AI features you want to test.
How Is the New Google AI Search Different From Bard Chatbot?
Alphabet’s Google demonstrated an updated core search product that embeds more AI in its answers as the company looks to banish doubts that it is losing ground to Microsoft’s OpenAI-powered Bing search.
Google already has a Bard chatbot that competes with ChatGPT, the chatbot from OpenAI that has generated huge excitement among users with its humanlike responses.
When do you Google and when do you Bard?
The company says that traditional Google search should still be use for finding and seeking information, such as locating something to purchase.
Google Bard is a chatbot with a persona that can hold humanlike conversations, and is intended to be use for creative collaboration, for instance, to generate software code or write a caption for a photo.
What are the updates to Google search?
With the enhance search term the Search Generative Experience, Google’s home page still looks and acts like its familiar search bar.
The difference is in the answers: if the new Google detects that generative AI can be use to answer a query, the top of the results page will show the AI-generated response. The traditional links to the Web will remain below.
For example, a search for “weather San Francisco” will as usual point a user to an eight-day forecast, while a query asking what outfit to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy response generated by AI, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week.
“You should bring layers, including a short-sleeved shirt and a light sweater or jacket for the day,” the result stated, including links to websites where it gleaned such advice.
Users will also be able to enter a brand-new “conversational mode,” which similar to Bard and ChatGPT remembers the user’s prior questions so users can ask follow-ups more easily.
So, the company points out that conversational mode is not design to be a chatbot with a personality, it is intend only to help hone search results.
For example, its responses will never contain the “I” phrase, unlike Bard and ChatGPT.
Can I try the new Google search now?
Not yet.
US consumers will gain access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks via a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed and cost of search results, the Google said.
Can I try Google Bard now?
Google said that Bard is now available with no wait list in 180 countries and territories, and plans to expand its support to 40 languages.
