Google looks set to revamp its search business in a way that we haven't seen before, according to a new report. If so, Google will integrate artificial intelligence into search in an attempt to better compete with Microsoft's Bing - a search engine that is already starting to lean more heavily on AI.

The move, it's said, means that Google is looking to both add AI to its existing search and create something entirely new as well.

Samsung's bet on Bing pushes Google into the arms of AI

In a world where OpenAI's ChatGPT is king right now, the New York Times reports that Samsung, the maker of the popular Galaxy S23 lineup of phones, is considering ditching Google search for Bing. If that happened, Bing would replace Google as the default search engine on Samsung phones - a move that would reportedly cost Google around $3 billion annually. A similar contract with Apple is worth $20 billion per year. Bing's AI technology is based on OpenAI's work.

While it isn't known for sure that Samsung's possible switch to Bing is related to its AI leanings, the NYT says that's the way people inside Google saw the news. It's now working to play catchup.

"A.I. competitors like the new Bing are quickly becoming the most serious threat to Google’s search business in 25 years, and in response, Google is racing to build an all-new search engine powered by the technology," the NYT reports. "It is also upgrading the existing one with A.I. features, according to internal documents reviewed by The Times."

It's thought that the changes to the existing search system would allow for a more personalised experience, but details are hard to come by right now. As for the all-new AI-based search engine, the report says that plans are still in the early stages and that there is no firm timetable for when it could be ready for primetime. However, the report does suggest that it "would learn what users want to know based on what they’re searching when they begin using it." The report continues, saying that it would be more conversational than traditional search and "offer lists of preselected options for objects to buy, information to research and other information."

The NYT believes that Google intends to roll upgrades to its current search product out to a group of around a million people initially, with around 30 million testing the features by the end of the year. Those people will be exclusively in the United States, it says.