Search is changing at a breakneck pace, with Google rolling out new AI features so quickly it can be hard to keep up. So far, these AI implementations are being offered in addition to the traditional search experience. However, Google is now offering a sneak peek at how it may use AI to change the good old-fashioned list of blue links. The company says its new Web Guide feature is being developed to "intelligently organize" the results page, and you can try it now, if you dare.
Many Google searches today come with an AI Overview right at the top of the page. There's also AI Mode, which does away with the typical list of links in favor of a full chatbot approach. While Google contends that these features enhance the search experience and direct users to good sources, it's been easy to scroll right past the AI and get to the regular list of websites. That may change in the not too distant future, though.
Google's latest AI experiment, known as Web Guide, uses generative AI to organize the search results page. The company says Web Guide uses a custom version of Gemini to surface the most helpful webpages and organize the page in a more useful way. It uses the same fan-out technique as AI Mode, conducting multiple parallel searches to gather more data on your query.
