News
Samsung replaces default search engine on Galaxy smartphones with Microsoft’s Bing
Google’s hold on the search engine market might be under threat as Samsung, the largest Android smartphone maker, reportedly considered switching from Google to Microsoft’s Bing as its default search engine. According to a report from the New York Times, Google learned about Samsung’s plan in March and reacted with “panic.” The search giant gets $3 billion annually from Samsung to be its default search engine, and the prospect of losing such a significant amount of revenue to Microsoft was concerning.
However, talks between Samsung and Microsoft and between Samsung and Google have not been completed, so it’s still possible that Samsung will stick with Google for its search needs. Nevertheless, the mere thought of losing such a major partner has reportedly spurred Google into developing and adding more AI search features. In response to this threat, Google is reportedly working on a new project with the code name Magi, which will add AI features to its existing search engine.
Magi is expected to add conversational AI to Google’s search service, as hinted by the company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal. The search giant may reveal Magi to the public in May during its annual Google i/O developers conference. Initially, the new AI features will be added to about one million US users, with plans to expand to 30 million users by the end of 2023.
In addition to Magi, Google is developing other AI products, including GIFI, an AI art generator; Tivoli Tutor, a language learning tool; and Searchalong, which will add a chatbot working alongside Chrome.
Today’s New York Times story states:
Magi would keep ads in the mix of search results. Search queries that could lead to a financial transaction, such as buying shoes or booking a flight, for example, would still feature ads on their results pages.
Overall, the possibility of losing Samsung as its default search engine has spurred Google into action, resulting in the development of new AI search features. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and whether Samsung ultimately decides to switch to Microsoft’s Bing or stick with Google. Regardless of the outcome, it is clear that AI will play an increasingly important role in the future of search engines, and Google is taking steps to ensure it remains at the forefront of this trend.