Google has recently announced a slew of new features and products during the 9th edition of its annual Google for India event. The senior director of UX research of Google, Shivani Mohan, said that they are adding new abilities to its generative AI experiment in search, search generative experience (SGE) in India by the inclusion of images and videos.  

He said, “In the coming weeks, generative AI in Search will also help users in India easily navigate and access critical information of over 100 government schemes spanning crucial areas such as employment, housing, healthcare, farming, women’s welfare, and more.” Mohan added that the new AI-powered Google Lenas will assist people in visual search, wherein they can easily search for food recipes using image search. Lens can also tell users about skin conditions that are visually similar to what they see on their skin. 

In order to protect users from financial fraud, Google has launched DigiKavach, an early threat detection and warning system designed to identify and study emerging financial fraud patterns and develop and implement effective countermeasures. To deal with the challenges of predatory loan apps, Google announced that it is collaborating with the Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE). 

Google has reportedly integrated the association as a priority flagger to support it with market intelligence and enable swift action against personal loan apps in India that are non-compliant with its Play Store’s policies. Google is also planning to introduce the feature of direct messages for businesses, which will be activated by the end of the year.