Google Enhances Search with Gemini's Multimodal Capabilities
In a significant development announced today, Google has revealed plans to integrate its Gemini multimodal capabilities into the AI Mode of Google Search. This enhancement aims to expand the functionalities of the Search platform, enabling it to answer complex and comprehensive queries in a single response.
Currently, the AI Mode is becoming accessible to a broader audience of 'Labs' users across the United States. Google has emphasized that this upgrade will significantly improve user interaction with its search tool.
In a press release, the tech giant expressed excitement over the potential of this integration, stating, âThis experience brings together powerful visual search capabilities in Google Lens with a custom version of Gemini, allowing users to easily pose complex questions regarding the visual content they encounter.â This integration will empower users to take a photo or record a video and then engage with the AI chatbot about the visual elements they captured.
The AI Mode opens up a range of possibilities for users. For example, they will be able to ask intricate, exploratory, and open-ended questions. Additionally, the AI Mode will facilitate more complex tasks, such as comparing various products, exploring how-to guides, or even planning trips, making it a versatile tool for users.
The advanced capabilities of AI Mode are powered by Geminiâs multimodal features. Google explained that once this mode is activated, it will be capable of interpreting every aspect of an image, including various materials, colors, shapes, and the arrangement of multiple objects. For instance, the AI can read book titles, identify themes and commonalities among them, and subsequently suggest similar highly-rated books to users based on their interests.
This functionality employs a technique referred to as âquery fan-out.â Similar to the traditional text-based search, AI Mode issues multiple queries to analyze the whole image and the individual objects present within it. Importantly, the AI Mode will be accessible on both mobile and desktop versions of Google Search. However, it remains to be clarified whether the Lens feature will enjoy the same availability, as the promotional material only showcases a mobile device using this new capability.
Google initially began testing the AI Mode just last month, and early feedback from Google One AI Premium subscribers has been overwhelmingly positive. Users have reported that AI Mode competently addresses their intricate and nuanced inquiries, providing far more detailed information on specific topics compared to standard Google Search queries.
In its ongoing efforts to refine the AI Mode, Google has indicated that it will continue to test and improve its features based on valuable user feedback collected from the 'Labs' environment. As of now, AI Mode is available for both Android and iOS users through the Google app, but only for those who hold a Google One AI Premium subscription.
