As the threat of new systems like Microsoft’s Bing chatbot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT loom, Google is stepping up its game with the upcoming release of new AI-powered search tools, according to The New York Times. The new tools, which will initially be released to a maximum of one million users in the US, are part of Google’s efforts to stay ahead of the competition and meet the demands of an ever-evolving search landscape.

While the exact features of the tools are not yet known, they are expected to build on the conversational abilities of Google’s experimental Bard chatbot, and are being developed under the codename “Magi”. With the rise of chatbots as potential replacements for traditional search engines like Google, these new tools are a crucial step in maintaining Google’s position as the search engine of choice for millions of users worldwide.

The release of these new AI-powered search tools comes at a time when Google’s position is being threatened by competitors like Microsoft’s Bing chatbot, which has reportedly led Samsung to consider replacing Google as the default search engine on its mobile devices. This move could cost Google an estimated $3 billion in annual revenue, making it all the more important for Google to stay ahead of the curve with its new search tools.

In addition to the new search tools developed under the Magi project, Google is also planning a more radical rebuild of its search engine, although there is no clear timetable for when this new technology will be released.

But Google is not stopping at just search. The tech giant is also developing a range of other AI tools, including an AI image generator called GIFI, a language learning system called Tivoli Tutor, and a feature called Searchalong that would integrate a chatbot into Google’s Chrome browser to answer questions related to the current web page. This feature is similar to Microsoft’s Bing AI sidebar for its Edge browser.

With the release of these new AI-powered tools, Google is making it clear that it is committed to staying at the forefront of the search industry, and that it is willing to invest in the technology and resources necessary to do so. As the competition continues to heat up, it will be interesting to see how these new tools and features will shape the future of search, and whether they will be enough to keep Google on top.