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The next time you search for something on Google, you might get a few responses that were generated by artificial intelligence, whether you like it or not.
Google has been offering generative AI responses for a while now; however, they only appeared for people who opted into Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) within the Search Labs platform. Now, it’s instead offering those responses on a subset of queries, representing a small percentage of the search traffic that comes through the platform in the United States.
If your search happens to be in that select minority, the AI-generated response will appear in a green box above traditional search results, labeled with a “Generative AI is experimental” note.
According to Search Engine Land, Google is currently showing the results in situations where it thinks generative AI can be helpful to the response, specifically situations where someone has asked a complex question or where it might be useful for them to get a variety of responses.
The company is reportedly testing the feature with users who have not specifically opted into it as a way to get additional feedback and see how the general public responds to the feature.
Google initially debuted SGE in May 2023. A pilot was slated to end in December; however, the company opted to extend testing.