Google updates AI Overviews and expands access to six new countries

Google recently announced several updates to its AI Overviews in Search Labs to improve the overall user experience and make it easier for users to find and visit high-quality websites relevant to their queries. Additionally, the AI Overviews, introduced for US-based users in May, will now be available with local language support in six new countries: the UK, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil.

To improve access to relevant websites providing different perspectives on the complex queries that AI Overviews are meant to answer, Google is introducing a new right-hand link display for AI Overviews on the desktop experience that will also be accessible on mobile when the site icons appearing on the top right corner are clicked. These features are now live for AI Overviews in the countries where the latter are available and can be tried in over 120 countries and territories through Search Labs. Google is also experimenting with adding links directly within the AI Overviews' text, which will join the existing links to increase access to the websites from which the AI Overview was sourced.

Additional capabilities that can be tested on Search Labs include the possibility of saving AI Overviews so they appear each time users perform the same search, with saved Overviews also available under the Interests section of users' profiles; and a single-tap option that simplifies the language of the AI Overview so it is easier to read and understand. These features will be available for English-language queries within the US.

These updates aim to help users ask complex questions, find information faster, and explore web content more effectively. Google reports that AI Overviews have increased engagement with Google's web search functions, particularly among younger users aged 18-24. The company emphasizes its commitment to maintaining high information quality standards as it expands these features globally.