Google Search Embarks on AI Journey
Google Search is in the midst of a “journey” around AI, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday. The start of that journey was AI overviews, a controversial and monumental shift in how Google delivers information to billions of Search users.
A New Era for Search
But that was just the beginning. “As AI continues to expand the universe of queries that people can ask, 2025 is going to be one of the biggest years for search innovation yet,” said Pichai during his opening remarks on the call.
DeepMind’s Role in the Future of Search
Throughout the call, Pichai laid out the next phase of Google’s plan to pack Search with AI features from the company’s research lab, DeepMind. The Search product is slowly becoming more like an AI assistant that browses the internet for you, looks at web pages, and returns an answer.
Implications for Websites and Businesses
Google has been on this path for a few years now, ever since the search giant was caught flat footed by the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022. The shift has massive implications for websites that rely on Google’s traffic and businesses that buy ads on Google Search.
A New Era of AI-Powered Search
Not everyone is happy about it, but Google is pushing ahead. When asked about the future of AI and Search, Pichai said that, “You can imagine the future with Project Astra,” a reference to DeepMind’s multimodal AI system, which can process live video from a camera or computer screen and answer user questions about what the AI sees in real time.
Project Astra and Augmented Reality
Google has big plans for Project Astra in other parts of its business too. The company says it wants the multimodal AI system to power a pair of augmented reality smart glasses one day, which Google will create the operating system for.
Gemini Deep Research and the Future of Search
Pichai also mentioned Gemini Deep Research – an AI agent that takes several minutes to create long research reports – as a feature that could fundamentally shift how people use Google Search. Deep Research automates work that people have traditionally done with Google Search. But now, it seems Google wants to do that research for users.
Conclusion
Google is committed to its AI-powered Search journey, and it seems that the company is just getting started. With the introduction of new AI features and the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with the internet, it will be interesting to see how this journey unfolds.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of Google’s AI-powered Search journey?
A: The purpose is to expand the universe of queries that people can ask and to make Search more like an AI assistant that browses the internet for you.
Q: What is Project Astra?
A: Project Astra is a multimodal AI system that can process live video from a camera or computer screen and answer user questions about what the AI sees in real time.
Q: What is Gemini Deep Research?
A: Gemini Deep Research is an AI agent that takes several minutes to create long research reports and automates work that people have traditionally done with Google Search.
Q: What are the implications for websites and businesses?
A: The shift to AI-powered Search has massive implications for websites that rely on Google’s traffic and businesses that buy ads on Google Search.
