Google has announced updates to its experimental AI Mode in search, including a new tool called Canvas and Search Live technology.
Canvas Innovations for Project Planning
In the new AI Mode, a feature called Canvas offers users a workspace for drafting and refining project outlines or study materials across multiple sessions. Users can start creating a draft by clicking the 'Create Canvas' button and enhance it step by step using follow-up prompts. Additionally, by the end of the year, Canvas will support the upload of materials like lecture notes or course syllabi for a more tailored plan.
Search Live Technology
Google is also bringing Project Astra's technology into AI Mode under a new name, Search Live. Integrated with Google Lens, Search Live enables users to point the camera at an object and ask questions as if interacting with a remote expert. 'Going Live with Search is like having an expert on speed dial who can see what's in view and explain tricky concepts in real-time,' said Robby Stein, Vice President of Product for Google Search.
Google's Advertising Strategy in AI Mode
Hema Budaraju, Google's product manager for search, stated that the company is still figuring out how advertising will work within AI responses and whether sites can pay to appear. The new interface encourages richer, more natural queries. During a demonstration, Google showed how AI Mode could suggest family-friendly strawberry-picking locations based on user preferences. However, a Pew Research Center study found that AI-first summaries led to only one click per 100 searches.
Google continues to advance AI technology in search by introducing new features and navigating changes in advertising strategy to meet the challenges of achieving successful user engagement.
