Google has launched a new feature that lets people search the internet using video. This means users can simply point their camera at something, ask a question about it, and receive relevant search results.
Starting today, Android and iPhone users can access this feature by enabling “AI Overviews” in the Google app, although it currently only supports English.
This is part of Google’s effort to change how we search online using artificial intelligence (AI). The launch comes three months after OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, began testing its own video search feature.
Google has also been integrating AI into its search results this year, but not all responses have been accurate. For example, one response suggested using “non-toxic glue” to make cheese stick to pizza, which drew criticism.
Although Google called those issues isolated, the company has since improved the accuracy of its AI-generated answers.
With this new video search capability, users can ask questions more intuitively. For example, if someone is at an aquarium and sees fish swimming together, they can record a short video and ask Google why that is happening. Google’s AI will analyze the video, recognize the fish, and generate relevant search results.
Industry expert Paolo Pescatore described this development as significant for Google, stating that people connect better with visual content. He believes AI is about to become more personalized and unique to individual users.
In addition to video search, Google has announced other updates, including better shopping results with more comprehensive reviews and pricing information.
Google is also launching a competitor to Shazam, the music-identifying app, allowing users to identify songs without leaving their current app.
These updates come as Google faces increasing competition in the search market, where it holds more than 90% of the global share.
OpenAI is testing its own search feature within ChatGPT, allowing users to ask questions directly to a chatbot. Google’s new features appear to be a response to this growing competition, although none have yet posed a serious threat to its dominance【BBC】.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93pdw7y12no