Google Search Gets A Major Overhaul, Thanks To AI Overview: Here's What It Can Do & How You Can Activate It

Google I/O 2024: It should be noted that for now, Google's new AI Overview feature is only available for US users. More countries are expected to follow soon.

Google I/O 2024 saw a wide array of AI-powered innovations that will be coming to users soon. Google expanded AI Overviews on Google Search to all users across the United States, with more countries expected to get the features soon. This new feature amalgamates generative AI with conventional web search, promising users quick and insightful search results.

How To Use AI Overviews On Google Search

To enable AI Overviews on Google, users can visit labs.google.com/search. Upon logging in using their primary email ID and activating the feature, Google Search and associated devices linked to the specific email account will gain access to AI Overviews capabilities. It's worth noting that although users outside the US might have to wait a bit longer, they can gain early access through Google Labs.

Once activated, users will notice that when conducting searches on Google, the top result will now stem from this new feature. AI Overviews functions across select web browsers, the Google app, and Chrome desktop. Importantly, disabling the feature within Google Labs will not disable AI Overviews altogether.

AI Upgrades To Google Search: All The New Features Announced

The introduction of AI Overviews aims to streamline the search process, offering quick answers without the need for extensive research. Through billions of experiments conducted in Search Labs, users have already embraced the feature, appreciating its ability to provide succinct overviews alongside links for further exploration. This week marks the rollout to millions of users in the U.S., with plans to extend the feature to over a billion users globally by the year's end.

With AI Overviews, users are encouraged to explore a broader spectrum of websites, particularly for complex inquiries. Notably, the links embedded within AI Overviews are garnering higher engagement compared to traditional web listings. As Google expands this experience, the emphasis remains on directing valuable traffic to publishers and creators, with advertisements clearly labelled to distinguish them from organic results.

In a forthcoming update, users will have the option to adjust their AI Overviews, simplifying language or delving into more detailed explanations. This feature will be particularly beneficial for those new to a topic or seeking to cater to varying levels of understanding.

Furthermore, AI Overviews equipped with multi-step reasoning capabilities will assist users in tackling increasingly complex questions. Rather than breaking queries into multiple searches, users can pose nuanced questions in a single query, streamlining the search process significantly.

Beyond answering questions, Search will also aid users in planning, whether it's meals or vacations. Planning capabilities integrated into Search will provide tailored solutions, allowing users to customise plans effortlessly.

Additionally, Search will utilise generative AI to curate AI-organised results pages, facilitating exploration across various categories like dining, recipes, movies, music, books, hotels, and shopping.

Lastly, advancements in video understanding will empower users to conduct visual searches, allowing them to seek assistance for issues captured in video format.

Through these innovations, Google seeks to redefine the search experience, integrating advanced capabilities to simplify searching, researching, planning, brainstorming, and more.