Google’s AI-powered search feature, SGE (Search Generative Experience), is set to receive some exciting updates. In a bid to rival Bing’s support of OpenAI’s DALL-E 3, SGE can now generate images using prompts directly within the conversational mode of Search.
Additionally, users can write drafts within SGE, allowing them to customize the output’s length, tone, and style. These new features come as part of Google’s ongoing efforts to rapidly enhance the capabilities of SGE and keep up with the fast-paced development of AI technology, the company said in a blog post.
The AI image generation feature allows users to enter prompts specifying the desired type of image, such as a drawing, photo, or painting. SGE will then provide four image results within the conversational experience.
Users can tap on the images to download them as .png files or modify the original prompt to generate a new set of images. The feature utilizes Google’s Imagen text-to-image model, which seamlessly powers the image generation process behind the scenes.
Furthermore, the same image generation feature will be available using Google Image search. If users can’t find the desired photo while scrolling through the search results, they can create a new image using prompts from a box that appears within the results.
Google limits this feature to users aged 18 and older despite recently expanding SGE access to teens aged 13-17 in the United States.
In addition to image generation, SGE’s writing assistant capabilities have been enhanced. Users could already receive a written draft, a feature integrated by the software giant to facilitate sending emails to companies whose ads or links were found through Search.
Now, the draft writing feature can output different types of writing, allowing users to customize the length, tone, and style of the text to their preference.
Both the alternate drafts and image generation features provide export options through SGE. Users can export their writing to various Google Workspace apps, including Gmail and Google Docs. Similarly, the generated images can be conveniently saved to Google Drive.
These exciting features will initially be rolled out to a percentage of SGE users, with a wider expansion to the user base planned over the following weeks.
