Google is adding new AI-powered search features to Google Search and in Google Search Labs, in addition to rolling out AI Overviews to searchers in the U.S. this week.
The new AI-powered features include the ability to adjust AI Overviews, multistep reasoning capabilities, planning capabilities, AI-organized search results and a new Google Lens ask-with-video feature. The new capabilities require users to opt-in.
Adjusting AI Overviews
Coming to Search Labs is the ability to adjust the AI Overviews to “simplify the language or break it down in more detail,” Liz Reid, the head of Google Search, explained. Clicking on “Simpler” will give users a more basic AI Overview response; clicking on “Break it down” will provide a much more detailed response.
This functionality refines search results without requiring multiple searches in the same search session.
Here is how it looks:
Refining AI Overviews is coming soon to Search Labs for English-language queries in the U.S.
Multistep reasoning capability
Google Search can now provide multistep reasoning using Gemini step-by-step reasoning logic. “Rather than breaking your question into multiple searches, you can ask your most complex questions, with all the nuances and caveats you have in mind, all in one go,” Reid wrote.
The example provided by Google below demonstrates how multistep reasoning works. The example shows when you’re searching for a new yoga or pilates studio, that is popular in your community, conveniently located for your daily commute, and that also offers a discount for new members. You can ask Google Search to “find the best yoga or pilates studios in Boston and show details on their intro offers and walking time from Beacon Hill.”
Here is how it looks:
Multistep reasoning is also coming soon to Search Labs, for English queries in the U.S.
Planning capabilities
The planning capabilities feature gives you the ability to plan what you need directly in Google Search. This will give you choices and the ability to co-create plans with others, it will show you links to recipes across the web, you can export those results, and replace specific plan details with another option within the various plan set. Plus it is not just showing you search results but planning them with you along the way with you.
For example, you can search for “create a 3 day meal plan for a group that’s easy to prepare,” and you’ll get a starting point with a wide range of recipes from across the web. You can swap out parts of the plan, as you wish and then export them to Google Docs or Gmail.
Here is how it looks:
Planning is coming to parties, date night and workouts in Search Labs later this year within the U.S.
AI-organized search results
Google Search will use AI to group the search results into specific categories. This will help you brainstorm options for your query, Hema Budaraju, the Senior Director of Product, Search Generative Experience, Google told us. You will be given search results “categorized under unique, AI-generated headlines, featuring a wide range of perspectives and content types,” Google wrote.
Here is how AI-organized search results will appear:
This functionality will roll out for dining and recipes, followed by movies, music, books, hotels, shopping and more later this year directly in Google Search for U.S. English results. It is not available as a Google Search Labs opt-in feature.
Lens search with video
Lens search with video enables users to record a video and ask questions while recording; Google will respond to based on the questions asked. “We’re able to take visual search to a whole new level, with the ability to ask questions with video,” Reid said.
This reminds me of Multisearch with images and Circle to search but with video.
Here is how this will work when it goes live later this year.
Searching with video will be available soon for Search Labs users in English in the U.S.
