Google’s Project Magi: an answer to ChatGPT?

The start of this unbridled race for the ideal tool seems to have been the change announced by South Korean Samsung which opted to replace the default browser of its cell phones. What used to be Google now becomes Microsoft’s Bing.

Whether this was the main reason for Google to boost its AI searches is not known, what is being reported is that the project called “Magi” has already started its development in “sprint” mode. About 160 people – executives, designers, and engineers – are believed to be working full-time on an entirely new search format for one of the world’s most popular web pages.

Souce: Search Engine Roundtable

 

Also in the New York Time story, Google spokesperson Lara Levin stated:

“We’ve been bringing AI to Google Search for years, not only to dramatically improve the quality of our results but also to introduce entirely new ways to search, like Lens and multi-search, done responsibly and helpfully that maintains the high standard we set for providing quality information.

Not every brainstorm or product idea leads to a launch, but as we said before, we are excited to bring new AI-based features to Search and will share more details soon.”

Currently, the company dominates the search platform market with a 90% share, followed by Microsoft’s Bing which pointed to a 25% increase in monthly visits due to integration with ChatGPT and GPT-4, which enables enhanced search to user requests with more efficient results.

Project Magi – more chat, less research

The traditional way of typing in a word, phrase, or question and receiving a list of 10 possible sites where you can find what you want may be ending. The new technology will have the closest format to a chat conversation, meaning that by understanding natural language and context, responses will be instantaneous and similar to human responses.

The new search engine with artificial intelligence aims to provide users with a more natural and intuitive way to search the web. It is designed to learn from users’ behavior and preferences and offer pre-selected options for information, transactions, and more.

Similar to what is already possible when using Alexa, for example, Google’s new way of searching promises a much closer and more personalized experience where the tool learns from previously exchanged conversations and other interactions and thus offers a smarter and more customized interface according to the user’s profile. 

In addition, the answers will also be more targeted and with a higher hit margin. For example, if the user frequently searches for news about sports or politics, the tool will show more articles and videos from his favorite sources or perspectives. He will also be able to say what he likes or dislikes and what he wants to see more or less of, and the platform will adapt to preferences and evolve as interaction increases.

Source: Neil Patel

 

While we wait for Magi

For those already eagerly awaiting this new tool form, it is worth saying that the surveys are still in the early stages, with no timeline or release date. Meanwhile, according to a report released by the brand itself, even before the official launch of this project, some new AI tools will already be incorporated into the current search experience during May, with new versions incorporated by the end of 2023. Initially, these tools will only be made available to one million users, exclusively in the United States, with progressive implementation up to 30 million before the end of this year. 

While the Magi project is not officially launched, Google is also developing several other AI tools:

– AI-assisted Google Earth mapping technology;

– Music search via a conversation with a chatbot;

– AI image generator in Google Image results, called GIFI;

– Tivoli Tutor will teach users a new language through open AI text conversations;

 – A featuree called Searchalong will allow users to ask a chatbot while browsing the web via Google Chrome, similar to Microsoft’s Bing AI sidebar for its Edge browser.

In addition, the company anticipates AI-based search projects to be incorporated into Google Maps, Chrome, Android, and other platforms.

If this ambitious project propels Google back strongly and reaffirms its position as the leader in search engines, it could change the landscape of the game to establish who wins the race for Artificial Intelligence. According to Jim Lecinski, vice president of sales and services, as the current leader in search, the company has been working to ensure that it is the big winner.

Transactions without changing pages

Another major change foreseen, besides the new search format, is the possibility to conduct transactions on Google’s website. This means that it will no longer be necessary to click on a link and be directed to another site to buy a product, the transaction can be done directly on the site, with just one click.

In addition to being quick and easy, transactions can be customized, as can the search system. When buying a sneaker, for example, besides seeing the product options, you can also see the colors available, the sizes, and even if that option is suitable for your foot shape, or even understand the differences between the brands and their original bases.

Added to this, Google Pay, Google’s built-in payment model already in use, can be integrated into this feature perfectly.

Source: Search Engine Land

 

This possibility can be seen as a huge opportunity for brands from a Marketing and Business point of view because when it comes to the shopping experience on an e-commerce page, the intention is always to offer a fluid and easy journey with as little friction as possible as an incentive to purchase. And this requires less jumping from page to page, fewer clicks, and less visual noise. 

With the ability to purchase directly on the Google page with just one click, brands’ online conversion numbers can undergo a giant transformation and greatly boost their revenues.

Good for Google, good for brands

The possible purchase format directly on the search page will not only be beneficial for brands, but Google is a business and must also worry about how to survive. Currently, ads account for 58% of its revenue stream and they work on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis, meaning that the more an ad is accessed by users, the more brands earn. This causes campaigns to have their success measured by the number of clicks rather than the number of conversions.

In a future led by Artificial Intelligence, Google is expected to change this format to cost per acquisition to make the user experience much better and the process easier.

In addition, it is anticipated that with Project Magi traffic will also become more relevant, meaning that the products offered to each audience will be more targeted and interesting, with a higher chance of conversion. So, the brands win, and so does Google.

Project Magi x GPT x Bing Chat

Since the launch and rapid rise in popularity of ChatGPT, many questions have been raised about existing search engines and their lifespan. One thing is a fact: Google is working on new developments when it comes to Artificial Intelligence motivated by the growth of ChatGPT and also Microsoft’s Bing search engine.

Speculations about the possible replacement of search engines are appearing in the media and the result has been this unbridled search for innovation and a possible competition of which tool will ultimately be chosen as the preferred one when it comes to online searches.

In this scenario of speculations and information all over the place, it is difficult to predict exactly what the impact of Project Magi’s launch will be, because there are numerous variables to be analyzed that may impact its performance. One of them is user adoption. There is no telling if the public will embrace Google’s new platform, especially with the growing popularity of ChatGPT. That popularity is growing because both ChatGPT and Bing AI feature a strong ability to answer complex queries, generate code, write content on the fly, and even make jokes. No wonder Google seems to be concerned and working tirelessly on a new solution to compete with this.

Source: Lifars

 

Another point to consider is the feature availability of each platform because, while Bing AI is more like Google’s current search engine, ChatGPT is more like a conversation with friends and, what is known, is that this is exactly the path Google is working on in Project Magi: to offer a more comprehensive and personalized search experience. 

Google’s current market popularity and dominance is also another important point that can offer an advantage in this dispute. Besides already having 90% of the market share, its presence in mobile devices, smart speakers, browsers, email, cloud computing, and other services is massive, and Project Magi will be fueled by this extensive database and knowledge, which will allow access to more accurate and reliable answers.

However, there are some challenges and limitations that can only be identified when the project is up and running in the real world. Technical and ethical issues may hinder performance and even delay the launch of Magi. Moreover, we cannot expect Bing and ChatGPT to stand by and watch this Google advance with their arms folded, both tools can also evolve in that time and make this dispute even more interesting.

Which platform will win this competition? What is your guess?