Google, a multinational technology company, has unveiled the Search Generative Experience (SGE) in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, expanding its reach beyond the initial launch at Google’s I/O event. SGE, a new generative AI experience within Google Search, aims to streamline the search process for users, especially those overwhelmed by the vast amount of information online.
Wambui Kinya, GM for Search in Africa, in a statement, highlighted the transformative impact of generative AI in Search, stating, “With new generative AI capabilities in Search, we’re now taking more of the work out of searching.
“We are imagining a supercharged Search that does the heavy lifting for you so you’ll be able to understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily,” Kinya said.
The SGE, accessible as an opt-in experiment in Search Labs, utilizes generative AI breakthroughs to present users with an AI-powered overview of key information, accompanied by suggested next steps for deeper exploration. This conversational experience allows users to intuitively learn more about the topics they are exploring, with context seamlessly carried over from question to question.
Furthermore, Google emphasises diversity in voices and sources, aiming to provide users with a wide range of insights. The company has designed the SGE to highlight and drive attention to content on the web, showing more links and links to a broader spectrum of sources on the results page. This approach creates new opportunities for content discovery while maintaining transparency in Search ads, which will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the page.
Maintaining a responsible approach, Google fine-tuned the SGE models to uphold Search’s high quality standards, with ongoing improvements over time. The tech firm also implemented guardrails to limit the types of queries where generative AI capabilities will appear, ensuring a responsible and deliberate integration.
To encourage user participation, Google invites individuals to sign up for the Search Labs experiment, accessible on Chrome desktop and the latest versions of the Google App on Android and iOS. Users can opt in, try out the SGE, and provide feedback directly to the development teams.
“Access via Chrome desktop is available immediately, with availability through the Google app rolling out over the coming week, the statement read further. “Simply tap the Labs icon in the Google app or Chrome desktop, and visit labs.google.com/search to learn more about this transformative Search experience.”
