Google plans to upgrade its iconic search engine with conversational artificial intelligence (AI) features, CEO Sundar Pichai, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He added that the latest developments in conversational AI would certainly boost the Google search engine.

According to Pichai, Google's decision to integrate AI into its widely used search tools shows the company's dedication to competing against OpenAI, which is supported by Microsoft, and other AI chat-bots.

“The opportunity space, if anything, is bigger than before,” Pichai told WSJ.

His comments come at a time when Microsoft, Meta, and many other tech firms are rushing to incorporate AI technologies into their products and services.

The notion that chatbots pose a threat to Google's search engine business was rejected by Pichai. Recently, Microsoft released an updated version of the Bing search engine, which is now powered by ChatGPT.

Google has long been a pioneer in large language models, or LLMs, which are computer programmes that can process and respond to natural-language requests. However, Google’s parent Alphabet Inc hasn't yet applied technology to influence how consumers conduct searches.

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“Will people be able to ask questions to Google and engage with LLMs in the context of search? Absolutely," Pichai said in the interview.

The rise of ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot that demonstrated human conversational abilities, has brought a revolutionary change in the technology industry, while it’s being perceived as a threat to many giants.

There are concerns that the technology could replace humans who work in knowledge-based businesses because it has been demonstrated to be capable of writing emails, essays, and software code.

As if Microsoft's integration of ChatGPT into Bing weren't enough, Google appears to be in more problems as it is currently under intense pressure from investors to reduce costs. The company has previously stated that it will lay off close to 12,000 workers, or around 6 percent of its total staff.

Google has been using AI systems to comprehend difficult questions for years, but the public launch of ChatGPT by Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI in November has ignited a race to incorporate the technology into consumer goods.

According to Pichai's recent remarks, Google intends to enable direct user interaction with its extensive large language models via its search engine.

Pichai also said in the interview that Google is experimenting with several new search products, including ones that let users ask follow-up questions to their original queries.

Google opened its AI chatbot Bard for public access in March, but did not integrate it with the search engine.

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