Google is experimenting with a new “AI Mode” search feature on its homepage, potentially marking a significant shift in how users interact with the search engine giant’s artificial intelligence features.
CNBC reports that in a move that could reshape the way users engage with its search engine, Google has begun testing an “AI Mode” search feature directly on its homepage. The new feature, currently available to a limited number of users, is positioned beneath the main search bar, replacing the long-standing “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, which would automatically take searchers to the top search result for their query.
A Google spokesperson confirmed that the feature is being rolled out to some users over the past week as part of the company’s “Labs” experimental unit, which tests new features for opt-in users. However, the spokesperson cautioned that not all tested products ultimately launch broadly.
The placement of the “AI Mode” feature is particularly noteworthy, as Google rarely makes changes to its valuable homepage real estate. This strategic positioning suggests that the company is seriously considering exposing more users to its AI technology as it faces increasing pressure to compete in the generative AI-driven search market.
Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022, investors have expressed concerns that the AI-powered chatbot could erode Google’s market share in search by offering consumers innovative ways to seek information online. The competition intensified in October when OpenAI launched “ChatGPT search,” directly challenging search engines like Google, Microsoft’s Bing, and Perplexity. Meanwhile, Microsoft has invested nearly $14 billion in OpenAI, despite the fact that OpenAI’s products compete with Microsoft’s own AI and search tools, such as Copilot and Bing.
Google responded with Gemini AI, which had an infamously disastrous launch as the woke AI attempted to rewrite history. According to a recent Google analysis revealed during an antitrust court session in April, Gemini has 35 million daily active users, while ChatGPT boasts an estimated 160 million daily active users.
The testing of “AI Mode” on Google’s homepage is not the company’s first foray into experimenting with new designs. In 2023, CNBC reported that Google was internally testing homepage layouts, including one that offered five different prompts for potential questions beneath the main search bar and a small chat logo inside the far right end of the search bar.
In March, Google announced plans to test “AI Mode” for select users, initially describing it as a feature on the search results page rather than the homepage. The company presented it as an early experiment in Labs, aiming to provide more advanced reasoning, thinking, and multimodal capabilities to help users with even their most challenging questions.
Read more at CNBC here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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