Google's AI Overviews Receive Three Key Enhancements: Here's What's Changed

If you're a frequent user of search engines, you've probably noticed how AI chatbots are becoming increasingly integrated into platforms like Google. Google's AI Overviews, initially launched with some hiccups, are now getting a boost with new features that could really enhance your search experience. And the best news? You can start playing around with these updates today in Search Labs.

On Thursday, Google rolled out several enhancements aimed at making AI Overviews more useful. One of the standout additions is the "save" feature. Now, if you come across an AI Overview you want to revisit, just hit the save button beneath it. The next time you type in the same search query, your saved AI Overview will pop right back up. It's super handy for queries like "what are some interesting science projects I can do with my 12-year-old son?" You can also find your saved overviews under the Interests page by clicking on your profile icon in Search.

Another cool update is the "Simpler" button, which lets you get a more straightforward, conversational explanation of the AI Overview. It's perfect when you just want the gist in plain language.

These new features are available to US users for English queries if you enroll in "AI Overviews and more" in Search Labs. Plus, Google Labs has other intriguing experiments like Imagen 3, NotebookLM, and Illuminate that you can check out.

Google's also experimenting with a new right-hand link display for AI Overviews on desktops, which connects you to more relevant websites related to your search query. This feature is also available on mobile by tapping the site icons in the upper right corner of your screen. These updates are rolling out globally for AI Overviews and to Search Lab users starting today.

Additionally, Google is expanding AI Overviews and country-specific language support to six new countries: the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil.

Google first introduced AI Overviews, originally called the Search Generative Experience, in beta back in May 2023. After facing some public backlash and issues, the feature has seen multiple updates. For instance, in May 2024, AI Overviews were rolled out to all users, but due to inaccurate results, Google scaled it back to appear on only about 15% of searches, which is roughly 70% fewer Search results pages.

These updates are definitely worth checking out to see if they bring more value to your searches. But if you're curious about other AI search engines, there are plenty of options out there. To help you choose the best one, ZDNET has put together a list of the top AI search engines available.