what you need to know
- Google confirmed it has started testing unregistered SGE users, giving them access to its AI overview in search.
- The company says it’s eager to gather public feedback on the need to improve its generative AI.
- Google brought AI overview to its main Android app via Lens in January, and newly appointed search chief Liz Reid said she wants to build more AI into the engine.
Google is reportedly expanding its SGE testing to include U.S. users who have not yet signed up for its test environment.
According to SearchEngineLand, users who are not in the Google Search Generated Experience (SGE) environment have already noticed the new AI capabilities (via 9to5Google ). Search users who are not in SGE should soon notice its AI overview when running queries through the engine.
Google confirmed to the publication that it “started with a set of queries it thought would be particularly useful for generating AI.” The company has added an expanded Generative AI test that targets complex questions from users, which will drive its AI to search multiple sources on the web.
Google commented that the purpose of expanding the test is to collect feedback from the public at large.
The company said it is “confident” that the value and quality its SGE capabilities bring will help end users. Additionally, these AI overviews may not appear in a broad way to most Google search users.
Google is testing several variations of its generative AI experience, and only a “small percentage” of U.S. users will see it. 9to5 added that the test will also include users who are not yet logged into Google.
Google launched Search Lab in May 2023, and the test environment brings a large number of generative AI features that users can test. One notable feature is that users can ask the AI follow-up questions to get more information about the answer to their query. AI also urges users to consider certain factors related to the technology, such as battery life or other quality aspects.
The company is rolling out Artificial Intelligence Overview to the main Google app on Android, along with Circle to Search. Overviews are presented at the moment of multiple searches in Lens, giving users access to the wealth of information collected on a topic and AI source.
With Google appointing Liz Reid as its new head on March 19, more AI and SGE testing is about to begin for search. Reed touted Google’s AI background before taking a step further in leading search by using the company’s generative AI software. Reid said in the statement that Search will implement more SGE and AI overview, focusing on its ability to understand context-rich queries.
We’re now seeing tests rolling out for unregistered SGE users singing a similar tune, which means we’re likely on the cusp of these AI additions.