From AI overviews to Circle and Search, it's clear that the way we use Google is undergoing a massive shift – and now Google has unveiled one of the biggest post-search engine features we've seen yet.
The tool, called “Gemini Research,” effectively uses AI to search Google for you and displays the results neatly in a Google Doc. An example question shown at the Made by Google event included, “I’m thinking about opening a coffee shop in Seattle. Help me research what I need to do.” You can see it in action in our video below on this page.
Once Gemini recognizes that you're looking for thorough research rather than a quick answer, it will apparently begin creating a multi-step research plan. Once you've approved it, Google says the assistant will “select information from around the web” in a “continuous reasoning loop.”
In other words, Google will do the searching for you and, after a few minutes, will dump all the relevant information into a formatted Google Doc, complete with sections and subheadings. In theory, the vision is certainly compelling, and Google is excited about it, calling Research with Gemini “a major step forward in our mission to organize the world’s information.”
What we don't know yet is when exactly it will be released: Google has said the tool will be coming to Gemini Advanced users (which costs $20, £19, or AU$30 a month) “in the coming months.” We've heard that before, so we're scheduling it for sometime this year (at best).
The big asterisks
In many ways, Research with Gemini feels like the future of Google. Instead of inundating us with a sea of blue links, the AI-powered feature promises to quickly scan the web, including nooks and crannies like subpages and drop-down menus, and do it all much faster than traditional Google. As Google optimistically stated at its Made by Google event, “what once took you hours now takes you minutes.”
But all of this comes with a couple of big asterisks. First, Google has glossed over the bugs and “hallucinations” it explains in the Gemini FAQ. This technology still makes major mistakes on a regular basis, so would you really trust it for an important research project? Maybe it’s more of a starting point.
@techradar ♬ original sound – TechRadar
Furthermore, research with Gemini clearly requires a lot of processing power, so it is initially being rolled out only to Gemini Advanced users. Will it be possible to expand the feature to a wider audience? It's not clear, but Google is being pushed in that direction by new rivals such as OpenAI's SearchGPT.
Either way, the meaning of “googling” is rapidly changing, and Research with Gemini gives us a fascinating look at where Google Search is headed in the future.
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