Google’s AI Search Gets a Flashy Makeover
Google is experimenting with a meaningful visual upgrade to its AI Overviews feature within its search engine. The new loading animation, closely tied to the Gemini AI platform, boasts a bolder, more dynamic design than its predecessor.
The current loading sequence begins with “Searching…” before transitioning to “Generating…,” accompanied by a subtle animation of blue text lines. Users enrolled in the Search Labs beta program see a Gemini sparkle icon alongside ”AI Overview” or a beaker icon with “Search Labs | AI Overview.”
though, the updated version, currently in testing within Search Labs, presents a more immediate and engaging experience. It instantly displays “Generating…” in the top-left corner, followed by “Looking this up” and then “Putting it all together” further down the page. A vibrant blue and purple spotlight pulsates within the search result box, visually linking the AI Overviews to the Gemini AI system. This pulsating effect mirrors similar visual cues seen in the Gemini overlay on Android devices and within Gemini Live.
A prominent label reading “Generative AI is experimental” appears at the top, a nod to the early stages of AI Overviews development.
While this could simply be a cosmetic change,many speculate that the revamped animation is connected to the anticipated launch of Gemini 2.0.Earlier in december, Google initiated testing of this new model for AI Overviews. Google stated that Gemini 2.0’s ”advanced reasoning capabilities” will enable AI Overviews to “tackle more complex topics and multi-step questions, including advanced math equations, multimodal queries and coding,” with a wider release planned for early next year. This enhanced functionality might explain the slightly slower loading times observed in the beta version compared to the stable release.
Although reports of this new animation are emerging,it’s not yet universally available to all Google Search users.
More on AI Overviews
Stay tuned for further updates on Google’s evolving AI search capabilities.
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