Starting this week, Google’s AI Overviews will expand to more than 100 countries, marking a milestone with over a billion global active users each month.
Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, while sharing the news on X, said, “Since launching AI Overviews earlier this year, people have been asking a whole new universe of questions. With today’s expansion to 100+ countries, AI Overviews will reach 1B+ users globally. More exciting things for Search ahead!”
The expansion also brings a significant update to language accessibility. Users in any region with AI Overviews will now be able to view information in multiple supported languages like English, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, or Spanish, making it easier for users to get insights in their preferred language, regardless of their location.
Since May, Google has been enhancing the visibility of links within AI Overviews to make it easier for users to explore supporting content. New link displays, like the right-hand desktop links and tap icons on mobile, have already driven an increase in website traffic. Google has also added in-line links directly within overview text, which, as seen in early testing, helps boost visits to related sites.
Google AI Overview Suggests Adding Glue to Pizza
In May, Google introduced AI Overview in search results in the US, marking one of the most significant updates to its search engine in 25 years. These results, displayed at the top of the search page, provide users with a condensed overview before delving into the typical list of blue links.
The internet was abuzz with discussions on the impact of this new technology, from recommending unconventional ingredients for pizza recipes to suggesting unusual remedies for medical conditions like kidney stones and whatnot.
“I understand the sentiment. You know, it’s a big change. These are disruptive moments,” said Google chief Sundar Pichai in a previous interview.
He acknowledged the concerns raised by media outlets and publishers about the rollout of AI previews in Google Search. In the interview, he said, “If you put content and links within AI Overviews, they get higher click-through rates than if you put it outside of AI Overviews.”
Pichai has been optimistic about the outlook and has highlighted that integrating AI Overviews into search results is not a simple win-lose scenario. Instead, he believes it will ultimately contribute to a richer and more dynamic search experience.
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