Google introduces a new way to search by filming video

Google has released a new feature that will let people search the web by taking a video.

Video search will allow people to point their camera at something, ask a question about it, and get search results.

Android and iPhone users globally will be able to access the feature from 17:00 GMT by enabling AI Summaries in their Google app, but it will only support English at first.

It’s the latest move by the tech giant to change the way people search online using artificial intelligence (AI).

It comes three months after ChatGPT creator OpenAI announced it was testing the ability to search by asking its chatbot questions.

Google introduced AI-generated results at the top of several search queries this year, with mixed results.

In May, the feature drew criticism for providing garbled and inaccurate answers, which included advising people to make cheese stick on pizza using “non-toxic glue”.

At the time, a Google spokesperson said the issues were “isolated instances.” The results have since become better, with less inaccuracy.

Since then, there have been other moves to incorporate AI into search, which included the ability to ask questions about still images using Google Lens.

The firm said this feature has increased the popularity of Lens within its mobile app, which has motivated it to expand the feature further.

Google’s head of search Liz Reid said the new capability will allow people to ask questions about the world around them more easily.

She gave the example of a person in an aquarium who might want to find out why a group of fish are swimming in unison.

Instead of searching for the fish online and typing in the question, the new feature will allow them to point their camera, record a short clip and ask a question out loud.

Google’s AI will analyze the video, identify the fish, match it with the query and produce search results.

Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore said this was a “big deal” for Google.

“Now we’re seeing AI in everything, and people relate best to visuals,” he said.

“This latest development further demonstrates new ways to bring content to life with something like search, which is one of the most common tasks performed on the Internet.

“Herein lies the opportunity for AI to be truly collaborative and an innovator in everyday life – we’re on the cusp of AI becoming personalized and unique based on our usage patterns and habits.”

In addition to introducing a way to search with video, Google has also released several other updates.

It says it has improved its shopping results, which will now include reviews and price information from different sellers.

And it’s also introducing a competitor to music identification app Shazam, which is owned by Apple.

The rival tool, accessible through Circle to Search on an Android device, will let people identify songs from a website they’re on or a show they’re streaming without leaving the app.

Google’s new features come as it faces growing challengers in the search space, where it is estimated to have captured more than 90% of the market globally.

This includes OpenAI, which revealed in July that it was testing a search feature within ChatGPT.

SearchGPT lets people search the web by asking a chatbot questions, and it’s being tested by a limited number of users in the US.

OpenAI’s value rose to $157bn (£120bn) on Wednesday after raising $6.6 billion in its latest funding round from high-profile investors including Microsoft.

Google’s new announcements are likely a way to combat the rise of rival firms — though none have yet truly threatened its massive dominance.