Google is set to launch tools to help you search for things you can’t put into words.
The search engine is a hugely useful tool for people to search and find answers quickly, but the premise of the search engine relies on people knowing keywords and terms they want to search for.
And during the company’s Search On event this week, Google revealed plans to implement new tools that will help you find the answers to questions you didn’t even ask – which could be used to search for things without knowing the specific words to search for.
The new features are powered by a machine learning model called MUM, or Multitask Unified Model, which can pick up information from formats beyond text, including pictures, audio, and video.
Using machine learning, Google will be able to include context outside of standard text-based search terms, which can be helpful if you’re feeling stuck on what to search for, as well as what words or phrases to use.
Google will also start surfacing links related to what you were looking for but that you might not have considered.
And in another upcoming feature called Google Lens, people will even be able to search using both words and pictures.
For example, when looking to fix a part of a bike that you don’t know the name for, you’ll be able to search “how to fix” alongside a picture of the bike part, and Google will show you the results you need.
