Michał Stekla
Artificial intelligence in the Google search engine is starting to speak to us in complete sentences, summarizing articles, suggesting what is worth reading and what to click on. Sounds like a revolution? Yes. But not everyone is thrilled.
The new "AI Overviews" feature is just reaching users in the USA, and it is expected to appear in other countries by the end of the year. Google is transitioning from a classic list of links to an "assistant" that spits out ready-made answers. In theory – a time saver. In practice? Sometimes you get a brilliant analysis, and other times... advice to add glue to your pizza (seriously).
Pizza with glue and other blunders. Is AI at Google ready?
Screenshots have started circulating on the internet showing that Google’s artificial intelligence can not only help but also drop the ball on specific topics. Users are testing the limits of the new feature and quickly discovering that the AI "borrows" data from Reddit, a beekeepers' forum, or a random blog from 2009. And it turns this into "knowledge".
Google defends itself, saying this is just the beginning and that the system learns on the fly – but for many, this is already a sign that AI in the search engine can be a double-edged sword. Especially if it relies on content that has undergone no verification.
SGE, or the old Google is coming to an end
Behind it all is the project "Search Generative Experience" – a new approach to searching for information. Google no longer wants to be the gateway to the internet, but a guide that immediately tells you what it thinks. The testing version launched last year and is now rolling out on a massive scale.
For SEO specialists, bloggers, and media, this could be a blow: the user will no longer click on an article since AI summarizes everything for them. For regular people – convenience... but at the cost of trusted sources. And what if AI makes a mistake? Well, pizza with glue hits the table.
What about TVs? Will Google AI also make its way to large screens?
Don’t be surprised if your TV is soon run by... an AI search engine. Google has previously integrated its services with Android TV and Google TV, and now – with the rapid development of AI Overviews – the question arises: will the new artificial intelligence also come to our living rooms?
In theory – absolutely. Google Assistant already works on many Android TVs, capable of searching for movies, checking the weather, and controlling smart home devices. By replacing it with AI Mode, you suddenly have a screen that not only searches for something but can summarize an entire article, recommend a movie based on your mood, or... tell you what to buy for dinner. Without reaching for your phone.
So far, Google has not officially confirmed the transfer of AI Overviews to Google TV; however, TVs from TCL, Sony, or Philips with Android TV are already technically ready. The only question remains: do we really want this?
Because if your AI in the TV starts suggesting that pizza tastes better with glue – the screening could quickly turn into an absurd show.
Gmail with AI? Google wants to think for you
But that’s not the end. Google plans for this entire AI Mode to work not just in the search engine. It is already testing the integration with Gmail, Google Docs, and the rest of Workspace. Having trouble responding to an email from your boss? AI will write it for you. Need to create a summary of a document? You don’t have to read it – AI will do it for you.
On one hand – saving time. On the other? We are stepping onto slippery ground. Because if the algorithm starts writing emails for us, summarizing data, suggesting decisions… what is left for us? It sounds like the future, but it smells a bit like a light Matrix.
Google, but now with personality?
Google says that by the end of the year, AI Overviews will appear in over 100 countries. But the question arises: is it still a search engine, or is it already a chatbot with an oversized ego? And who will take responsibility for the nonsense it can spout?
For now, the novelty is only available in English, but as I know life, the Polish version is already being prepared. And then it will be a true test – not only for Google but also for us, the users. Because if AI becomes the default way to search for information, we are witnessing the biggest change on the web in two decades.
Source: geekweek
