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Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) unveiled several artificial intelligence-focused updates at an event held in Paris on Wednesday, including a new “multisearch” feature, as competition in the generative AI space heats up.
The new multisearch feature is available to mobile users around the world with Google Lens. It lets people look for items using text and images and is useful for shopping. Multisearch was previously unveiled in the U.S. and India and is now available to mobile users around the world.
In addition, Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) spoke about an update known as “multisearch near me” that lets users open the app and search for local businesses and get information about them, such as ratings or whether the business is busy.
The new “multisearch near me” feature is available in the U.S. and will come to the rest of the world in the next few months, Google added.
Multisearch is being powered by Google’s (GOOG) (GOOGL) artificial intelligence technology known as Multitask Unified Model, or MUM.
Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) also announced improvements in contextual translation at the Paris-held event, including in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. These changes will come in the next several weeks.
Updates were made to Google’s (GOOG) (GOOGL) iOS Translate app, including a redesign, support for additional language and making it easier to use.
Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) also made changes to Maps, including adding immersive views in five new cities – London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo, that shows weather and traffic updates.
More cities will come in the next several months, Google added, including Florence and Venice.
Maps will also have a new feature known as “glanceable directions” on both Android and iOS that lets people understand their trip from the route overview or lock screen and get updated time of arrival and where to make turns. This feature was only previously available with an unlocked phone.
Other updates include Search with Live View coming to more European cities, including Barcelona and Madrid; Indoor Live View feature to more than 1,000 airports, train stations and malls around the world, utilizing augmented reality; and lastly, allowing electric vehicle owners with Maps built in – including automakers such as Polestar (PSNYW), GM (GM) and Volvo – to find fast charging stations.
The new features will be available in the coming months, Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) added.
Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) shares fell more than 6% in early trading on Wednesday.
The updates to Google’s (GOOG) (GOOGL) services, including search, comes one day after Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) introduced an updated Bing search engine and Edge web browser using technology from OpenAI.
At the event, Microsoft (MSFT) explained Bing is now running on technology from OpenAI, the maker of the popular ChatGPT chatbot, that is better than ChatGPT itself. The new version of Bing is capable of switching to AI chat mode and could make shopping for goods and services easier, Microsoft (MSFT) said at the event.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also attended the event, telling onlookers that Microsoft (MSFT) was using a new version of OpenAI’s technology specifically geared for search.
On Monday, Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) unveiled its Bard chatbot for feedback, with a wider public release coming in short order as it steps up its general artificial intelligence offerings.
