Next month, Google will release a new set of AI-powered search tools that will initially be available only to one million US users. The features are expected to build on the conversational capabilities of Google’s experimental Bard chatbot and will be developed under the codename “Magi”. Although details of the upcoming tools remain unclear, it is likely that they will be aimed at competing with the recent advances in chatbot technology by companies such as Microsoft and OpenAI. As chatbots become more sophisticated, there is growing concern that they may one day replace traditional search engines altogether.
To stay ahead of the curve, Google is investing heavily in AI research and development. In addition to Project Magi, the company is planning a more radical rebuild of its search engine. However, it is unclear when this new technology will be released. Meanwhile, Google is also working on several other AI tools, including an AI image generator called GIFI, a language learning system called Tivoli Tutor, and a feature called Search Along that would integrate a chatbot into Google’s Chrome browser to answer questions related to the current web page.
Despite its leadership in the field, Google’s position is under threat, and Samsung is considering replacing Google with Bing as the default search engine on its mobile devices. While this move would be worth an estimated $3 billion in annual revenue to Google, it is unclear how serious Samsung is about the switch. Microsoft’s AI work may have swayed the company, but it could be simply taking advantage of Google’s weakness.
