In an all-hands meeting last month, Google search chief Prabhakar Raghavan warned staff that the company is preparing for a new chapter as “things have changed” and they are “not like they were 15, 20 years ago,” according to CNBC. Raghavan emphasized that life will not be “hunky-dory” forever.
The rise of competitors such as startup Perplexity AI has put pressure on Google’s dominance in the search market. Perplexity recently raised about $63 million in a new funding round and is valued at more than $1 billion. Among Perplexity’s backers are Jeff Bezos and Nvidia. Despite acknowledging the presence of new competitors, Raghavan reaffirmed that Google remains a trusted source for information in the meeting.
The introduction of generative AI has forced Google to adapt its search experience. The company has launched a new version called Search Generative Experience (SGE), which is powered by AI. SGE provides users with AI-generated summaries of search results, while Microsoft has enhanced its search capabilities with new AI features on Bing, allowing users to search visually.
Both Google and Microsoft are investing heavily in AI to stay ahead in the competitive search engine market. While Google is working on improving its search experience with AI-powered features, Microsoft is reinventing Bing with AI-infused capabilities. As these companies continue to innovate, it is clear that the future of search will be shaped by artificial intelligence technologies.