Here we discuss the potential benefits and challenges of Google's AI initiatives for users.
Google, the world's leading search engine, has recently announced that it is expanding its generative AI search experience to India and Japan, after launching it in the U.S. earlier this year. Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content from existing data, such as text, images, or videos. Google's generative AI search experience, also known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), is a new way of presenting information to users that goes beyond the traditional list of links.
Benefits and challenges of Google's AI initiatives
Google's AI expansion is part of its broader vision of using AI to make its products and services more helpful, simple, and secure for users. Google has been investing heavily in AI research and development, as well as acquiring or partnering with various AI companies and organizations. Google has also been launching or testing various AI-powered features and tools across its platforms, such as Google Assistant, Google Photos, Google Maps, Google Translate, YouTube, Gmail, etc.
Google argues that its AI initiatives can benefit users, publishers, and regulators in various ways, such as:
For users, Google's AI initiatives can provide more relevant, useful, and personalized information and experiences, as well as save time and effort. For example, Google's AI can help users find answers to complex or novel questions, such as "How to make a cake in a pressure cooker" or "How to draw a cat wearing a hat". Google's AI can also help users discover new aspects or perspectives of their interests.
For publishers, Google's AI initiatives can offer new opportunities and challenges for content creation, distribution, and monetization. For example, Google's AI can help publishers create more engaging and diverse content, such as interactive stories, videos, or podcasts. Google's AI can also help publishers reach more audiences and markets, such as different languages, regions, or demographics. Google's AI can also help publishers measure and improve their performance and impact, such as traffic, engagement, conversion, or revenue.
For regulators, Google's AI initiatives can raise new issues and questions for policymaking and governance. For example, Google's AI can pose ethical and social dilemmas, such as privacy, security, bias, accountability, or transparency. Google's AI can also create legal and regulatory challenges, such as intellectual property, competition, taxation, or consumer protection. Google's AI can also require new standards and frameworks, such as quality, accuracy, or reliability.