Google Ditches Classic Search Button for AI-Powered Shortcuts

Google is testing a radical redesign of its search homepage, eliminating the classic Google Search button in favor of AI-focused shortcuts. The experimental layout features three new buttons: 'Ask about files,' 'Brainstorm,' and 'Create images.' These buttons are part of Google's Gemini models, which enable users to upload documents or pdfs and ask questions about their contents.

The 'Ask about files' feature allows users to attach files directly inside the search box, while the 'Brainstorm' shortcut opens a conversational prompt for users to think out loud. However, the 'Create images' button requires a Google account sign-in, likely due to high compute costs associated with running visual generation models.

The test is limited to select signed-out visitors across multiple browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The experiment aims to target anonymous web traffic, which represents the audience segment Google knows least about.