Google to launch AI-powered search results for users who didn't opt in

Google has begun rolling out AI-generated search result summaries to a select group of users in the United States, even for those who haven't opted into the feature.

This new shaded section at the top of search results aims to provide quick answers to queries, along with links for further details, using the company's generative AI technology.

Previously, this feature, known as the Search Generative Experience (SGE), was only available to users who actively opted in through the Search Labs platform. However, Google has expanded its availability to a set of queries and a small percentage of search traffic in the US, regardless of user opt-in status.

Introduced at Google's I/O developer conference last year, SGE initially required users to opt in. However, Google's recent move aims to expose more users to AI-generated summaries, particularly for complex queries or those where information from multiple websites could be beneficial.