Google is taking another step in AI-ifying its Discover feed by adding the ability for people to customize the feed through a chatbot.
Discover, for those unfamiliar, is a feed of internet content supplied by Google in various places. It shows up in the Chrome browser and in the Google app. Moreover, many Android phones have Discover available with a swipe to the left of the main home screen.
In a recent blog post, the search giant detailed the new feed customization feature, which will arrive in the “coming days.” According to Google, users will be able to tap “any three-dot menu” that appears in the Discover feed and tell Google in their own words what they want to see. The feed will “adjust on the fly” and remember requests.
A video Google shared on its blog shows how it all works, including the chatbot-style interface where users can make requests and specify interests.
At the time of writing, the feature wasn’t available on my devices, so I couldn’t test it out for myself to see how well it works.
However, I’m initially skeptical, especially given how many online publications have come to rely on feeds like Google Discover for traffic. Coupled with other AI changes, like Google experimenting with replacing headlines with its own, AI-generated ones, makes me worry Discover will become less effective and further hurt websites that rely on it.
Alongside the Discover change, Google is adding new customization options for its daily audio briefings in Google News on Android. Users will be able to choose specific topics and get clear source attributions with links to full articles to explore more.
Source: Google
