Google is significantly reconfiguring its search engine capabilities in the U.S. by integrating AI-generated summaries directly into search results, a feature that will soon expand globally. This shift is transforming Google from a traditional search engine into a more dynamic AI assistant that provides direct answers, which could impact the accuracy and reliability of those answers.
At the Google Marketing Live 2024 event, the company outlined its strategy to use AI across the entire advertising cycle, from the creation of customized ads to the analysis of their performance. Google Ads Vice President Vidhya Srinivasan acknowledged the limitations of AI, noting it lacks taste and expertise, but emphasized its potential to revolutionize business strategies.
Google is testing new advertising formats within these AI summaries. Users will soon see ads that not only appear above and below the summaries but are also embedded within them, offering direct links to products.
Furthermore, Google is introducing innovative ad features like 360-degree views of products, starting with shoes, and interactive tools in shopping ads that allow users to see clothing on various body shapes. This approach aims to enhance the online shopping experience by making it more interactive and engaging.
The company is also rolling out “brand profiles” for merchants, which will display at the top of search results. These profiles will include brand imagery, videos, customer reviews, and other relevant information pulled from Google Merchant Center and Google’s shopping graph data.
However, these changes raise concerns about the potential dilution of traditional search results, which could make it more difficult for users to find credible and detailed content. The increased presence of ads, especially in new areas like Google Lens searches, may prioritize commercial interests over user needs. This could impact the trustworthiness of information provided by Google and potentially affect the traffic and revenue of external websites that rely on Google for visibility.
Image – @ AI Innovation Times
