Google’s head of search just sat down for an exclusive interview with media outlet The Financial Times. Here’s a quick rundown of what she said about the company’s future prospects.
Elizabeth Reid mentioned details about joining Google in 2003 as one of the firm’s first 10 engineers at the New York City office. This is where 500 to 1000 employees were counted as a whole at Google during the time. Now, it’s expanded into a huge organization, home to thousands.
Reid reportedly worked on some of the firm’s first projects linked to search and went on to switch to Google Search several years after that. Of course, she spoke about AI and how the world needs more of it to grow and flourish.
As per Reid, some of the greatest growth in search is happening thanks to AI. People are rolling out more questions in detail and seeking the answers they long for. She also shared how it appeals to the youth so much more and resonates in a certain direction with them. As such, they’re some of the first to put out expectations about what can happen and therefore adapt to more modern forms of tech.
Google is also seeing a rise in multimodal searching where people ask questions not only in text form but also add images along the way. Today, AI search is linked more to how people can further their journey without making the same mistakes as they would while being a human.
Reid didn’t leave out the controversies related to AI making mistakes so frequently. She admits that Generative AI isn’t flawless. However, humans asking bizarre questions like can we eat rocks wasn’t something that the model was anticipating, nor was it trained on that kind of data. However, the Android maker is working hard on making improvements. This includes greater accuracy and adding depth to replies depending on data seen online.
She tried to justify the act by adding how AI Answers aren’t designed to be the end of the tunnel. AI Overviews aren’t created to be just a solo product for search. They’re created to initiate the search process and make the user explore further. You do get context about where you can explore and then can opt to double-check it more.
The clicks in higher quality are there, she continued, and that means more diversity for search is present as an abundance of pages pop up. The interview also headed in the direction of speaking about traffic problems arising from Google towards its publishers.
They do believe strongly in Google Search, where people continue to hear from others, and it’s an integral part of the product. This is important for a healthier ecosystem and also for users who might want to hear others’ opinions on a certain topic.
Last but not least, Reid shed light on the future of Google Search. She shared how multimodal will increase and search will become a more personalized affair with time. It’s not only the results but the way in which you learn that alters with time.
Coming to agents or chatbots, she says that it’s all about how the searcher makes use of it. Tools are used to provide more insights for harder queries, and that will carry on in the future. Still, Google Search will be people’s main information product, but getting what you want might require more effort to really pinpoint the solution you’re seeking.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: Mark Zuckerberg Takes Stand for Second Day in Landmark US Antitrust Trial for Taking Over Instagram and Whatsapp
Elizabeth Reid mentioned details about joining Google in 2003 as one of the firm’s first 10 engineers at the New York City office. This is where 500 to 1000 employees were counted as a whole at Google during the time. Now, it’s expanded into a huge organization, home to thousands.
Reid reportedly worked on some of the firm’s first projects linked to search and went on to switch to Google Search several years after that. Of course, she spoke about AI and how the world needs more of it to grow and flourish.
As per Reid, some of the greatest growth in search is happening thanks to AI. People are rolling out more questions in detail and seeking the answers they long for. She also shared how it appeals to the youth so much more and resonates in a certain direction with them. As such, they’re some of the first to put out expectations about what can happen and therefore adapt to more modern forms of tech.
Google is also seeing a rise in multimodal searching where people ask questions not only in text form but also add images along the way. Today, AI search is linked more to how people can further their journey without making the same mistakes as they would while being a human.
Reid didn’t leave out the controversies related to AI making mistakes so frequently. She admits that Generative AI isn’t flawless. However, humans asking bizarre questions like can we eat rocks wasn’t something that the model was anticipating, nor was it trained on that kind of data. However, the Android maker is working hard on making improvements. This includes greater accuracy and adding depth to replies depending on data seen online.
She tried to justify the act by adding how AI Answers aren’t designed to be the end of the tunnel. AI Overviews aren’t created to be just a solo product for search. They’re created to initiate the search process and make the user explore further. You do get context about where you can explore and then can opt to double-check it more.
The clicks in higher quality are there, she continued, and that means more diversity for search is present as an abundance of pages pop up. The interview also headed in the direction of speaking about traffic problems arising from Google towards its publishers.
They do believe strongly in Google Search, where people continue to hear from others, and it’s an integral part of the product. This is important for a healthier ecosystem and also for users who might want to hear others’ opinions on a certain topic.
Last but not least, Reid shed light on the future of Google Search. She shared how multimodal will increase and search will become a more personalized affair with time. It’s not only the results but the way in which you learn that alters with time.
Coming to agents or chatbots, she says that it’s all about how the searcher makes use of it. Tools are used to provide more insights for harder queries, and that will carry on in the future. Still, Google Search will be people’s main information product, but getting what you want might require more effort to really pinpoint the solution you’re seeking.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: Mark Zuckerberg Takes Stand for Second Day in Landmark US Antitrust Trial for Taking Over Instagram and Whatsapp
