Latest news with #AudioOverviews
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Google rolls out spoken AI summaries in search with new Audio Overviews feature
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14 — Google yesterday began letting people turn online searches into conversations, with generative artificial intelligence providing spoken summaries of query results. With Audio Overviews, Gemini AI models quickly sum up query results in conversational style, according to Google. 'An audio overview can help you get a lay of the land, offering a convenient, hands-free way to absorb information whether you're multitasking or simply prefer an audio experience,' Google said in a blog post. 'We display helpful web pages right within the audio player on the search results page so you can easily dive in and learn more.' Google is beefing up online search with generative artificial intelligence, embracing AI despite fears for its ad-based business model. CEO Sundar Pichai recently unveiled a new AI mode in Google search. The search engine's nascent AI mode goes further than AI Overviews which display answers to queries from the tech giant's generative AI powers above the traditional blue links to websites and ads. Since Google debuted AI Overviews in search slightly more than a year ago, it has grown to more than 1.5 billion users across several countries, according to Pichai. Google's push into generative AI comes amid intensifying competition with OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has itself incorporated search engine features into its popular chatbot. — AFP
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Google turns internet queries into conversations
Photo: Unsplash Google is now letting people turn online searches into conversations, with generative artificial intelligence providing spoken summaries of query results. With Audio Overviews, Gemini AI models quickly sum up query results in conversational style, according to Google. "An audio overview can help you get a lay of the land, offering a convenient, hands-free way to absorb information whether you're multitasking or simply prefer an audio experience," Google said in a blog post. "We display helpful web pages right within the audio player on the search results page so you can easily dive in and learn more." Google is beefing up online search with generative artificial intelligence, embracing AI despite fears for its ad-based business model. CEO Sundar Pichai recently unveiled a new AI mode in Google search. The search engine's nascent AI mode goes further than AI Overviews which display answers to queries from the tech giant's generative AI powers above the traditional blue links to websites and ads. Since Google debuted AI Overviews in search slightly more than a year ago, it has grown to more than 1.5 billion users across several countries, according to Pichai. Google's push into generative AI comes amid intensifying competition with OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has itself incorporated search engine features into its popular chatbot. - AFP
CNET
a day ago
- CNET
Too Busy to Read? Google's Audio Overviews Summarize Your Search Results Aloud
The next time you wonder why school buses are yellow, you might not have to read a single word to get the answer. Google's latest experimental feature can literally tell you the answer, in a tiny audio clip that loads right inside your results page. Launched Friday in Search Labs, Audio Overviews uses Google's latest Gemini AI models to turn certain queries into 30- to 45-second, podcast-style explainers, complete with on-screen source links for fact-checking. The move pushes Google's AI Overviews beyond text, positioning Search for a semi-hands-free, voice-first future, while also raising more questions about what this means for publishers who rely on clicks. How you can try out Audio Overviews right now You can try out Google's Audio Overviews right now if you're interested. Go to the Google Labs website, opt in to the Search Labs program if you're not already signed up and then toggle on Audio Overviews. You can hit Try an example to test out the feature. Nelson Aguilar/CNET The next time you run a query, like "How do I stop apps from tracking my exact location on my iPhone," Google might show you a button that says Generate Audio Overview, which you'll have to scroll down a little to see. You can then tap on the Audio Overview to process the clip, and then press play. You can speed up the audio, mute the clip and rate it with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, to better train it. Audio Overviews are only available in the US for now. Nelson Aguilar/CNET Below the player, Google lists the web pages it drew from, so you can click through to fact-check the information or just dig deeper. For those who might have visual impairments, this new feature offers a glimpse at what a voice-first Google might look like. But until Google expands language support and proves the summaries are dependable, consider this a nifty experiment for now, not a substitute for reading the full story.
Android Authority
a day ago
- Android Authority
Google's latest experiment brings NotebookLM's best features to Search
TL;DR Audio Overviews emerged as one of Google's breakout AI hits, synthesizing virtual podcasts with a pair of hosts. After debuting with NotebookLM and spreading to other Google services, the company is experimenting with Audio Overviews in Search. For this initial test, access is limited to the US and only supports English. Forgive us for sounding like a broken record by this point, but Google's Audio Overviews have easily emerged as one of the company's most genuinely impressive and useful AI tools. First debuting as part of the NotebookLM research assistant, Audio Overviews make text summaries a whole lot more accessible by crunching them down into what's essentially a mini podcast, with a pair of virtual hosts chatting back and forth. We've seen Google expand access and bring Audio Overviews to more of its services since then, like Gemini this past spring, and now it's coming to the granddaddy of them all: Search itself. Google is offering users the opportunity to opt in to try anew Search Labs experiment, giving them early access to Audio Overviews in Search results. Once you flip it on, you'll start finding a new 'Generate Audio Overview' button when running a Search. If you're not immediately seeing it, try scrolling down, as right now Google's featuring it distinctly from AI Overviews. Stephen Schenck / Android Authority The company warns that it can take up to 40 seconds to do the research, synthesize the voices, and assemble your completed Audio Overview, but in our initial testing we saw results that were much more manageable — closer to 10 seconds. Obviously your mileage will vary, and a more complicated or obscure query may take a little longer. Just make sure you sit tight if you're actually interested in hearing the results, as Google informs us that navigating away will discard the in-progress Overview. This kind of feature makes perfect sense for Search, as it's basically just repackaging solutions we already had. Back in April we saw NotebookLM pick up the ability to search down new source material on your behalf. This is more or less Search doing the same thing, and then piping that output into an Audio Overview, just like NotebookLM could. But by baking it right into Google's most publicly facing service, this experiment has the potential to expose this impressive functionality to a whole lot more users. Right now this experiment is only available in English and in the US, but considering how Audio Overviews in NotebookLM already support over 50 languages, we're hopeful that won't be the case for long. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Google tests Audio Overviews for Search queries
Google Search is experimenting with Audio Overviews for certain Search queries, the company announced on Friday. The feature was first introduced to NotebookLM, Google's AI-based note-taking and research assistant. The tech giant says Audio Overviews will use its latest Gemini models to give users another way to absorb and understand information. 'An audio overview can help you get a lay of the land, offering a convenient, hands-free way to absorb information whether you're multitasking or simply prefer an audio experience,' Google explained in a blog post. The feature is available starting today in Labs, Google's experimental program. The company says users will see the option to generate a short Audio Overview if Google thinks it would be useful based on their specific query. Once you generate an Audio Overview, you will see a simple audio player with play/pause controls, a volume button, and the option to adjust the playback speed. Image Credits:Google Google will display links in the audio player to show where it's getting the information from. If you want to learn more about a topic after listening to an Audio Overview, you can click on the links in order to dive deeper into your search. You can give a thumbs up or thumbs down on each Audio Overview, and the experiment as a whole in Labs. In NotebookLM, Audio Overviews give users the ability to generate a podcast with AI virtual hosts based on documents they have shared, such as course readings or legal briefs. Google also brought Audio Overviews to Gemini in March. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Audio Overviews in Search builds on AI Overviews, the AI-generated summaries Google supplies for certain Google Search queries. With Audio Overviews, Google is targeting people who are auditory learners or want more accessible ways to get information. It's worth noting that today's announcement comes a few days after a Wall Street Journal report found that Google's AI Overviews and other AI-powered tools are killing traffic for news publishers.
