AI Overviews is now being introduced in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and the UK, with support for local languages.
Google Expands AI-Generated Summaries to Six New Countries Amid Updates
SAN FRANCISCO: On Thursday, Alphabet Inc. (GOOG), the parent company of Google, announced a significant expansion of its AI-generated summaries feature, extending it to six additional countries. This move comes just two months after the company had to retract some capabilities following a problematic rollout.The feature, known as AI Overviews, is designed to provide users with concise summaries of search queries at the top of search results pages before displaying traditional web links. Initially launched in the United States in May, AI Overviews faced criticism and scrutiny due to several inaccuracies. For instance, early versions of the tool included a pizza recipe with glue listed as an ingredient and erroneously identified former US President Barack Obama as Muslim.
In response to the backlash, Google acknowledged the issues and made several updates to improve the feature. A blog post from late May outlined changes that included restricting which queries would display AI-generated summaries and removing user-generated content from sources like Reddit as reference material. These adjustments aimed to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the overviews.Hema Budaraju, a senior director of product at Google, shared insights on the progress of the AI Overviews feature during an interview with Reuters on Wednesday. She noted that internal data showed an increase in user satisfaction and engagement from those who had access to the updated feature. Users with the AI Overviews option were reportedly searching for longer, more specific queries and expressing higher levels of satisfaction compared to those without the feature.Now, Google is expanding AI Overviews to Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
The summaries will be available in local languages such as Portuguese and Hindi, catering to the diverse linguistic needs of users in these regions.In addition to the geographic expansion, Google is enhancing the feature by adding more hyperlinks. Websites referenced in the AI-generated summaries will be displayed on the right side of the overview. This update is intended to provide users with more context and easy access to relevant sources.Furthermore, Google is internally testing an additional update that would integrate links directly within the text of the AI-generated overviews. This change is part of a broader strategy to drive traffic to relevant websites and improve the overall user experience. The company highlighted that this approach is designed to benefit consumers, publishers, and Google itself by facilitating more effective navigation and information retrieval.
The expansion and updates come amidst ongoing concerns from the media industry regarding the potential impact of AI-generated summaries on referral traffic. Publishers have voiced apprehensions that the feature could reduce the amount of traffic directed to their websites, affecting their revenue and audience reach. Budaraju addressed these concerns, stating that the new updates aim to provide a “three-way benefit” for Google, users, and content publishers by balancing user needs with the interests of media companies.In related news, a recent ruling in the United States has found Google guilty of holding an illegal monopoly on search, paving the way for a trial that could potentially lead to the breakup of Alphabet Inc.
This legal challenge comes as competition in the AI space intensifies, with rivals such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI presenting growing threats.The expanded rollout of AI Overviews and the associated updates reflect Google’s efforts to refine its AI tools and address user and industry feedback. As the company continues to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities, the global response and adaptation to these changes will likely shape the future of search and information retrieval.