Speaking at the 2024 Women of Silicon Roundabout at London’s ExCel, Google’s vice president of search verticals and translate, Cait O’Riordan, highlighted how AI-power innovations are addressing increasingly complex user queries and evolving expectations.
“For the last 25 years, Google’s mission has been to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. This enduring vision continues to guide us. Often, when I tell people I work in search, they ask, "Isn’t search a finished product?"
“It might seem straightforward- type a query, find an answer-but those of us in tech know there’s still a lot to do. Why? Because human curiosity is boundless.”
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She added: “Every day, 15% of the searches we see are brand new. People wake up with questions no one has ever asked before and that pushes us to evolve continuously.”
Additionally, advancements in large language models (LLMs) have revolutionised how the technology giant understands and answers these queries.
Key advancements include AI Overviews, which provide concise snapshots of information directly on the search page, meanwhile, visual tools are also reshaping search behaviour, the former Shazam and BBC exec stated.
“Search is no longer just a tool; it’s becoming a true partner in people’s lives,” she said. “We’re reimagining it to be more personalised and actionable than ever before.”
