Introduction

Google is opening up its AI-powered search experience, also known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), to teenagers in the United States. SGE is a tool that helps people find information faster and explore topics naturally, both in search and while browsing web pages. SGE uses generative AI to create conversational responses to queries, as well as overviews and summaries of web content. Starting this week, people aged 13-17 years in the United States who are logged into a Google Account will have the opportunity to enroll in Search Labs, granting them access to the AI-powered search experience through either the Google app or the Chrome desktop platform.

Benefits and Challenges of Generative AI

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content or data from existing data, such as text, images, audio, or video. Generative AI can help younger people ask questions they couldn’t typically get answered by a search engine and pose follow-up questions to help them dig deeper. Generative AI can also help users discover new information and perspectives, as well as learn how to evaluate the quality and reliability of sources.

However, generative AI also poses some challenges and risks, such as producing false or offensive content, violating privacy or intellectual property rights, or influencing people’s opinions or behaviors. Therefore, Google has designed some safeguards and features to ensure the safety and quality of the AI-powered search experience, such as:

• Adding an “About this result” notice to the AI-generated responses and web links, which gives users context about how SGE generated the answer and where it came from.

• Training the AI model to better detect and avoid inappropriate or harmful content, such as illegal substances, bullying, or misinformation.

• Providing an AI Literacy Guide, which helps users understand how generative AI works and how to use it responsibly.

Feedback and Future Improvements

Google says that it has received positive feedback from users who have tried the AI-powered search experience, especially from younger users who prefer a more conversational style of searching. Google also says that it is working on improving the AI-powered search experience based on user feedback and expert advice. Some of the future improvements include:

• Expanding the availability of SGE to more countries and languages.

• Adding more features and modes to SGE, such as voice input and output, image search, and personalization.

• Using large language models to critique and rewrite the AI-generated responses with quality and safety in mind.

Conclusion

Google is opening up its AI-powered search experience to teens in the United States, who can sign up for Search Labs through the Google app or Chrome desktop. The AI-powered search experience uses generative AI to create conversational responses to queries and overviews of web content. The AI-powered search experience can help teens find information faster and explore topics naturally, but it also requires some safeguards and features to ensure safety and quality. Google is working on improving the AI-powered search experience based on user feedback and expert advice.