Google is expanding the Search Generative Experience (SGE) to enhance the holiday shopping experience. In an announcement on Thursday, the company revealed that its AI-powered search bot can now provide gift suggestions, generate photorealistic images of various product types, and enable virtual try-ons for men’s tops.
Originally launched in May, Google’s SGE delivers AI-driven responses and recommendations in addition to the regular web results from the search engine. Since its inception, the tool has seen updates, including the introduction of follow-up queries, improved translations, and interactive definitions for more complex subjects. To utilize this feature, users will need Chrome on their desktop or the Google mobile app on their smartphones.
The search engine giant reports that 20 percent of apparel searches consist of five words or more, indicating a tendency for users to seek specific information when exploring fashion-related products. Google SGE has now been enhanced to produce “photorealistic images” of the envisioned item. Users can fine-tune these images with follow-up prompts. Subsequently, SGE utilizes the refined output as a basis to search for actual products that closely match the user’s vision.
For instance, if you are in search of a distinctive winter coat, such as a vibrant, patterned puffer jacket, and haven’t found the perfect match, Google’s Director of Shopping Product, Julie Black, explains in a blog post, “With generative AI in Search, just look for that style and tap the ‘Generate images’ button to see photorealistic, generated images that match your vision. From there, you can refine the images in real time — so if you’d prefer a colorful metallic jacket instead of patterned, just enter that refinement in the text box. Then you’ll see a new set of photorealistic images. Once you’ve found one you like, just scroll down to see similar shoppable products.”
Google is expanding the capabilities of SGE to assist in curating the ideal gift. When you search for terms like “great gifts for home cooks” on a compatible device/browser combination, SGE can generate organized ideas, including subcategories like specialty tools, artisanal ingredients, culinary subscriptions, and cooking classes. The tool allows users to refine their queries to be highly specific, such as seeking gifts for home cooks who adore pasta or gift suggestions for a seven-year-old aspiring inventor.
In June, Google SGE introduced virtual try-ons for women’s tops, resulting in a notable increase in high-quality interactions from shoppers. Now, virtual try-ons for men’s tops have been introduced. When searching for women’s or men’s tops from supported brands, users will encounter 40 virtual models representing various shapes, sizes, heights, and skin tones. One can select a model that closely resembles themselves or the intended recipient to obtain an AI-powered preview of how the product might look on them. Brands supporting this feature at launch include Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, JCrew, and Under Armour.
To make use of these features, users must activate SGE for their accounts. This can be done by visiting the Search Labs page or activating SGE in the Google app by tapping the beaker icon on the upper left.
