Google is betting on total personalization

Google is betting on total personalization: its search engine now learns from each user.

El buscador más usado del mundo da un giro clave: con “Inteligencia Personal”, Google promete búsquedas más relevantes y hechas a medida gracias a la integración de IA y datos personales.

Google is taking a key step in the evolution of its search engine. The company announced the launch of a new feature called “Personal Intelligence,” an artificial intelligence-based tool that will allow search results to be tailored based on what Google already knows about each user. The goal is clear: to make every search more relevant, contextual, and personalized.

This initiative marks a profound change in how people interact with Google Search, which for more than two decades has served as the primary gateway to the internet. Now, thanks to advances in generative AI, the search engine is beginning to move away from the universal answer model to offer results that are tailored to individual interests, habits, and experiences.

What is “Personal Intelligence” and how does it work?

The new feature is integrated within Google Search’s AI Mode, an AI-powered experience that the company introduced last year. By activating “Personal Intelligence,” the system can connect with other services in the Google ecosystem, such as Gmail and Google Photos, to learn more about the user’s digital life and offer more accurate answers aligned with their preferences.

For example, someone looking for weekend getaway ideas might receive recommendations based on past trips, visited destinations, or recurring interests. Similarly, the search engine could suggest restaurants that match the user’s culinary tastes or even recognize preferred clothing styles from photos stored in Google Photos.

As Robby Stein, Vice President of Google Search, explained in an official company blog post, «Personal Intelligence transforms Search into an experience that feels unique to you by connecting the dots across your Google apps.» However, the executive also clarified that the system won’t always provide perfect answers and that users can help improve the results through direct feedback, such as comments or by using the thumbs-down button.

Who will have access to the new feature?

Initially, “Personal Intelligence” will be available in the United States to subscribers of Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra. Google will also offer it as an experimental option within Labs for anyone with a personal Google account who wants to try the search engine’s new capabilities.

This gradual rollout reflects the company’s usual strategy of testing its most ambitious developments in key markets before expanding them globally.

Privacy and trust: the major challenge

Activating this feature implies a deeper level of access to personal information, which reignites the debate about privacy. For “Personal Intelligence” to work, users will need to trust that Google will protect sensitive data related to their daily lives.

However, the company maintains that this trust already largely exists. For years, millions of people have shared personal information in searches, emails, calendars, and photo libraries. The difference now is that this information will be used more explicitly to personalize the search experience.

Gemini 3 and the Vision of a Smarter Ecosystem

The arrival of “Personal Intelligence” is not an isolated move. It’s part of a broader strategy driven by Gemini 3, the latest version of Google’s artificial intelligence model, launched in November. With this development, the company seeks to enhance its entire ecosystem of digital products and services.

Earlier this month, Google had already given clear signs of this transformation by beginning to turn Gmail into an AI-powered personal assistant. Now, that same approach is being applied to the search engine, the central pillar of the company’s business.

Furthermore, Gemini’s reach extends beyond the Google universe. Apple recently announced a partnership with the company to bring AI tools to devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The agreement aims, among other things, to improve Siri and make it a more conversational, intelligent, and versatile assistant—a long-standing challenge for Apple in the field of artificial intelligence.

Competition, Regulations, and the Future of Search

Google’s advance in artificial intelligence is occurring against a backdrop of intense competitive and regulatory pressure. In 2024, a US judge declared that Google’s search engine constituted an illegal monopoly. Even so, the company remains the primary source of internet access for billions of people worldwide.

At the same time, it faces the growing threat of new AI-based search engines, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, which offer more conversational and direct search experiences. In this scenario, «Personal Intelligence» emerges as a strategic move to reinforce Google’s relevance and differentiate itself through personalization.

In fact, advances in artificial intelligence were key to the judge’s rejection of a proposal from the US Department of Justice that sought to force Google to sell its Chrome browser as a measure to limit its market power.

A Search Engine That Adapts to Each Person

With «Personal Intelligence,» Google aims to redefine the concept of internet search. The promise is to move from a generic search engine to a tool that understands each user’s context, preferences, and history. While the challenge in terms of privacy and trust will be crucial, this move confirms that the next great technological battle will not only be about providing answers, but about providing the right answer for each individual.

Source: www.itsitio.com