Google pushes AI upgrades, subscriptions as OpenAI’s ChatGPT threatens search business
The tech giant has announced an AI mode for all search users in the US, as well as more advanced capabilities via subscriptions
Google unveiled the plans amid a flurry of demos that included new smart glasses during its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, which has adopted a tone of increased urgency since the rise of generative AI challenged the tech company’s long-time stronghold of organising and retrieving information on the internet.
In recent months, Google has become more aggressive in asserting it has caught up to competitors after appearing flat-footed upon the release of Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022.
On Tuesday, it further laid out a vision for Google Search that let consumers ask virtually anything, from simple queries to complex research questions, from analysing what a smartphone camera sees to fetching an event ticket to buy.
Google likewise said it aims to build AI that is personal and proactive, whether phoning a store for users or sending students a practice test generated on the fly.
CEO Sundar Pichai said at the conference that Alphabet would build such AI with the cost in mind as well. “Over and over, we’ve been able to deliver the best models at the most effective price point,” he said.