Google Expands AI Search Engine to India and Japan

Google is expanding the availability of its generative AI-powered search engine, called Search Generative Experience (SGE), to India and Japan. SGE serves as an experiment for a future where Google Search is integrated with a conversational AI chatbot interface. The software will support Hindi and English in India, and users in both countries will have to opt-in to use SGE. Google is also improving the way links to web pages appear in generative AI responses. Early users, particularly those between 18 and 24 years old, have shown high satisfaction with SGE, appreciating the ability to ask follow-up questions and conduct more conversational searches. Google assures that ads are still visible alongside the SGE box, addressing concerns about the impact on its ad business. Microsoft's generative AI-powered version of Bing search has already been available for months, intensifying the competition between the two tech giants in the AI space.