01/09/2025

LYFE MONDAY | SEP 1, 2025

FOLLOW

ON FACEBOOK

22

Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Google AI Mode lands in Malaysia o Search gets new integrated feature

I MAGINE being able to ask a question as complex and multi-layered as planning the perfect open house for friends, and in an instant, receive a comprehensive, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered response that explains it well, complete with web links to explore. Now, users can experience this firsthand as AI Mode – Google’s AI search experience – arrives in Malaysia in English. AI Mode was first introduced as an experiment in the US earlier this year and it is now rolling it out to more users globally. It has received some praise for its speed, quality and fresh responses. Built for complex questions Using a custom version of Gemini 2.5, AI Mode lets users ask longer, more complex questions that would have previously required multiple searches. In fact, early testers are already asking queries two to three times the length of traditional searches, showing it is perfect for the toughest questions. It is particularly helpful for exploratory tasks such as comparing products, planning a trip or understanding complex how-tos. For example, users could ask: I am hosting an open house for about 30 guests from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Help me design a halal -friendly menu that caters to different dietary needs while celebrating the rich flavours of Malaysian cuisine. And users could even ask a follow up prompt: “In addition, suggest simple decor ideas and classic Malaysian games that create a warm, welcoming atmosphere and encourage everyone to join in the spirit of togetherness.” Behind the scenes, AI Mode uses a THE Gemini app has unveiled a new image generation and editing model from Google DeepMind, giving users more control than ever to create the ideal picture. Maintain your look as you edit It launched native image editing in the Gemini app earlier this year, and it has been working to improve it, with particular focus on maintaining a character’s likeness from one image to the next. When editing pictures of yourself or people you know well, subtle flaws matter – a depiction that is “close but not quite the same” does not feel right. That is why this latest update is designed to make photos of your friends, family and even your pets look consistently like themselves, whether you are trying out a 60s beehive haircut or putting a tutu on your chihuahua. Just give Gemini a photo to work with and tell it what you would like to change to add your unique touch. Gemini lets you combine photos to put yourself in a picture with your pet, change the background of a room to preview new wallpaper or

This end-to-end AI search experience could prove to be a game changer for event planning or performing everyday tasks. – 123RFPIC

exactly what they are looking for, with all its nuances, and get to the right web content in a range of formats. This helps expand the types of questions people can ask, creating new opportunities for content discovery. AI Mode is rooted in its core quality and ranking systems, and it is using novel approaches to improve factuality. It aims to show an AI-powered response as much as possible, but in cases where it does not have high confidence, users will see a set of web search results. As with any early-stage AI product, it will not always get it right, but it is committed to continuous improvement. You can now upload multiple photos and blend them together for a new scene. For example, take your photo and another of your dog to create a portrait of you both on the basketball court. 0 Multi-turn editing You can keep editing the images Gemini makes – take an empty room, paint the walls, then add a bookshelf, some furniture or a coffee table. Gemini is working with you all along to alter specific parts of an image while preserving the rest. 0 Design mixing Apply the style of one image to an object in another. You can take the colour and texture of flower petals and apply it to a pair of rainboots, or design a dress using the pattern from a butterfly’s wings. Try this updated image editing capability in the Gemini app. All images created or edited in the Gemini app include a visible watermark, as well as its invisible SynthID digital watermark, to clearly show they are AI-generated. while still looking like you. 0 Blend photos together

questions about what they see. For instance, say you have received a new plant as a gift and are not sure where to start, open the Google App for Android and iOS, snap a photo and ask: “What is this plant and give me instructions on how to re-pot and take care of it.” AI Mode will grasp the visual details, identify the plant and provide a detailed, step-by-step response, complete with links to articles. Users could also follow up with questions such as, “Where should I place it in my home for best growth?” Helping people explore best of web With AI Mode, users can express

the Knowledge Graph and shopping data for billions of products. Go beyond text: Voice, images AI Mode is designed to be multimodal so users can ask questions in whatever way feels most natural: whether that is with text, voice or by taking or uploading an image. To ask questions using voice, simply tap the microphone icon and ask a query in AI Mode. This is helpful for those long, detailed questions or when on the go, letting users search without breaking stride. It is bringing the powerful capabilities of Lens into AI Mode, allowing users to easily ask complex

query fan-out technique, breaking question into subtopics and issuing a multitude of queries on your behalf. This enables Search to dive deeper into the web than ever before, helping users find incredible, hyper-relevant content. Users can also easily ask follow-ups such as “Can you suggest some kuih-muih that can be prepared in advance?” to dig even deeper. What makes this experience unique is that it brings together advanced model capabilities with Google’s best-in-class information systems, and it is built right into Search. Users can access not only high-quality web content but also tap into fresh, real-time sources such as

Image editing in Gemini gets major upgrade

Transform images in amazing new ways with updated native image editing in Gemini.

Bring your vision to life with advanced editing Here are a few things to try as you explore this new image editing capability: 0 Give yourself a costume or location change

Upload a photo of a person or pet, and the model will keep their look the same in every image as you place them in new scenarios. Try putting yourself in different outfits or professions, or even see how you would appear in another decade – all

place yourself anywhere in the world you can imagine – all while keeping you, you. Once you are done, you can even upload your edited image back into Gemini to turn your new photo into a fun video.