Google announces new features for Search Engine: Perspectives, About this Image, and AI-generated Image Labels

Google has announced several new features for its Google Search engine in their Google I/O 2023, which are set to roll out in the coming weeks. Among these features are Perspectives, About this Image, and AI-generated image labels, all of which aim to enhance user experience and provide a more personalized search experience based on AI-powered features.

Perspectives is one of these new features, a new way for users to filter their search results into user-generated content from discussion boards, Q&A sites, and social media platforms, including Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok. This feature is designed to provide a more "lived experience" to users, giving them more relevant search results based on their specific needs, and to access diverse sources of information without having to append platform names to their search queries. Users will be able to find personal stories, discussions, and creator content from these sources in the general search results where relevant. Additionally, some search results pages will have a dedicated "Perspectives" section where users can find more content from these sources. This section will provide information about the content creators, such as their name, profile picture, and information about the popularity of their content. Google is also developing a system to improve how it ranks personal content and content written from an expert's point of view. However, Google's new feature has raised concerns about the potential spread of misinformation, especially considering the tech giant's past issues with misinformation on its search engine, such as the "Popular On Twitter" module that used spread misinformation on different events and news.

Meanwhile, About this Image will show users when the image was first indexed by Google and where else the image may have appeared, such as on news, social or other sites. This feature is expected to enhance image search results and make it easier for users to find the information they need, and it's especially useful to identify AI-generated images or fake news. The tool can be accessed through various means, such as clicking on the three dots on an image in Google Images results or searching with an image in Google Lens. Additionally, users can swipe up in the Google App or right-click/long-press on an image in Chrome on desktop and mobile (coming later this year).

Lastly, another important feature is the AI-generated image labels, which will be a new meta-data label that has to be added manually by site owners and publishers. This will help users identify which images were created using AI and provide more accurate search results. Google is not labeling images as being AI-generated algorithmically, but trusting image creators to use this meta-data label. It is important to note that this markup will only work for images and not for AI-generated text.

In general, these new features demonstrate Google's ongoing commitment to improving the search experience for users. By utilizing AI and other advanced technologies, Google can deliver search results that are both precise and relevant. These enhancements not only make the search results more dynamic and enriched, but also create a more user-friendly and personalized experience. We can expect the rollout of these exciting new features in the coming weeks.