Google LLC today introduced three new features for Search Generative Experience, an experimental version of its search engine powered by generative artificial intelligence.

The update is rolling out less than two weeks after the previous enhancement to the service.

Search Generative Experience, or SGE as it’s commonly referred to by Google, debuted in May. It enhances standard search results with a panel that contains an AI-generated response to the user’s query. The service also offers several other features not included in the standard version of Google.

The first enhancement the company detailed today is rolling out for the panel in which SGE displays its responses to users’ search queries. According to Google, users will receive the ability to hover over certain words in an AI-generated response to access a definition. Hovering over the word “proton,” for example, might bring up a brief explanation of the subatomic particle.

Word definitions will appear in a pop-up panel within the SGE interface. That panel can include not only text but also photos and diagrams, Google said. The company says the feature will help users learn more about topics such as physics, economics and history.

The second new feature that Google debuted for SGE is geared toward developers. As part of its feature set, SGE provides the ability to generate code using natural language commands. Today’s update will make that feature easier to use.

A typical code file comprises several different elements. It might include a function that processes numbers, a second function designed to process text and comment explaining how the two components interact. SGE can now display each key element with a different text color to help developers more easily navigate AI-generated code.

“With our new updates, segments of code in overviews will now be color-coded with syntax highlighting, so it’s faster and easier to identify elements like keywords, comments and strings, helping you better digest the code you see at a glance,” explained Rany Ng, Google’s vice president of product management for search. 

The third new feature rolling out as part of the update is known as “SGE while browsing.” It allows users to access summaries of online articles. Each AI-generated summary contains a few bullet points that explain the main themes of an article.

Below the bullet points, the feature displays additional information in a question-and-answer format. Each question discusses a different detail from the article that SGE summarized.

The feature is currently available in Google’s iOS and Android clients. According to the company, it will roll out to Chrome in the coming days. 

Image: Google