In May 2023, Google unveiled several enhancements powered by artificial intelligence across its range of products. Among them was the Search Generative Experience (SGE) for Google Search, a feature designed to produce AI-driven summaries of search results, streamlining the information-seeking process. Taking things up a notch, Google has now added another layer to SGE called “SGE While Browsing”. This new addition offers users succinct summaries of articles, allowing you to grasp the main points without delving deep into the entire content.
Activating the “SGE While Browsing” is quite simple. Users just need to click on the ‘Generate’ button located at the screen’s base. Doing so prompts Google Search to present a tab displaying the article’s central themes. Further enhancing user interaction, tapping on a particular point will navigate you to its corresponding section within the article. Additionally, an ‘Explore on page’ feature is integrated, providing users with a list of questions addressed by the article. This further facilitates quick navigation to the sections providing those specific answers.
As per Google’s announcement, the “SGE While Browsing” feature will soon be accessible via the Google app for both Android and iOS platforms. Additionally, desktop users can look forward to its integration with Chrome in the forthcoming days. However, it’s important to note that this feature is still in its beta phase. Thus, to access it, users need to join the Search Labs program. Another pivotal point is that the summarization capability is currently limited to freely accessible articles and doesn’t extend to content behind paywalls.
That’s not the end of the upgrades to SGE. Google shared that hovering over specific terms in the SGE result would now trigger pop-ups, offering definitions or illustrative diagrams. This is particularly handy for users who come across unfamiliar terms or concepts. Reflecting on the success and potential of the SGE, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet and Google, conveyed that the feedback received from users on SGE has been overwhelmingly positive. He believes that, with the progression of time, SGE’s methodology will become the new norm for how Search operates.
