Malaysians now have access to Google’s AI-powered search results

Google has expanded its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search results, dubbed Search Generative Experience (SGE), to over 120 new countries including Malaysia.

With the feature, users will be shown an AI-generated response to their query at the top of their search results. This response will also include links to the search results that it was based on.

The search giant intends for the feature to improve user experience and allow for users “to understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily”.

Users can opt in to the feature via Google Search Labs by simply toggling it on, but this can only be done in Google Chrome. Otherwise the webpage will simply display a notice requesting that users install the browser or the Google App on a smartphone.

Once opted in, AI-generated responses will be automatically shown to users when their search is in question form.

Alternatively, when a user only search a word or name of something, they will be asked if they want to “get an AI-powered overview for this search?”, alongside a button to “generate” such a response.

There will also be the option to ask follow up questions via the “Converse” tab, which can be selected right underneath the search bar.

These AI-generated responses will only be shown when using Google Chrome or the Google App, with other browsers simply displaying search results as before.

Not all the features of Google’s SGE is currently available to Malaysians – as of time of writing, this includes the image generation tool which the company unveiled back in October.

It also does not currently have support for Malay-language queries.

It is worth noting that the opt in page mentions that the feature “Ends on May 2024”. However it is unclear if the feature will then be removed, or made available to all users without requiring an opt in at that point in time.