Google has announced adding another generative AI feature to its Search engine. Google is giving users the ability to create images using textual prompts.
For now, it’s only available to users in the United States who have opted for Google’s experimental Search Generative Engine (SGE), which integrates generative AI into the world’s most visited website.
The company unveiled SGE at the I/O 2023 and will be rolled out to other countries soon, said Google.
A user could type in “hands holding flowers with a view of mountains in the background,” the search engine would spew up to four images in the results. Because Google doesn’t want users to claim these images as human-generated, every image generated through SGE will have metadata labeling and embedded watermarking to indicate that AI created it.
As we continue to experiment with bringing generative AI to Search, we’re adding new capabilities to help you get more done — like the ability to generate imagery or create the first draft of something you need to write. Learn more ↓ https://t.co/bmWZ48gAwv
— Google (@Google) October 12, 2023
SGE is Google’s vision for our web searching future. Rather than picking websites from a returned list, the system will synthesize a (reasonably) coherent response to the user’s natural language prompt using the same data that the list’s links led to.
Thursday’s updates are a natural expansion of that experience, simply returning generated images (using the company’s Imagen text-to-picture AI) instead of generated text. Users type in a description of what they’re looking for (a Capybara cooking breakfast, in Google’s example) and, within moments, the engine will create four alternatives to pick from and refine further. Users will also be able to export their generated images to Drive or download them.
How to Generate AI Images Directly in Google Search
To use Google’s Search Generative Experience, you need to opt into the feature first. You can do so on the Google Search Labs page. SGE is currently only available to US residents over 18 years old.
- Once you’re opted in, you can start creating images with SGE by following these steps:
- Go to Google.com and type in a description of what you want to see in the search box. For example, “draw an image of a flying car.”
- Press Enter or click on the search icon. You’ll see up to four generated images in the results.
- Click on any of the images to see an expanded version of your query. You can also edit the query by clicking the Edit button in the expanded image view. Here, you can change or add more details to your query.
- When you’re happy with your image, you can download it by tapping Export > Download. You can also export it to your Google Drive by clicking Export > Google Drive.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Structure your query as a prompt. Google still functions as a search engine and brings up results around the web for your query. Structure your query as a prompt by beginning with verbs like “create,” “draw,” “make,” “generate,” etc., to activate Google’s AI image generator.
- Have fun and be creative. SGE is not only a useful tool, but also a fun way to explore your imagination and creativity. You can try generating images that are funny, surreal, or impossible in real life. Need inspiration? Our AI art prompt ideas article can help.
- Be respectful. SGE is a fun and useful tool, but it’s not meant to generate harmful or offensive content. If your query is potentially harmful, SGE will refuse to generate any images and ask you to try something else.
