Google just released Gemini with personalization two weeks ago, which enables its AI chatbot to tap into your Search history to help answer questions. Back in February of 2023 I wrote a post about Google’s “Code Red” based on OpenAI launching ChatGPT. In that post I mentioned that AI chatbot advancements had us quickly headed towards Jarvis (an AI personal assistant that knows everything about you, where you have been, what you like, dislike, and more, in order to best answer your queries.)
Well, the pace of change with AI chatbots has been relentless and it’s incredible to see how far they have come in a short period of time. And now we have a new and exciting feature, which is just another important step towards Jarvis. Gemini just released personalization, which will tap into your Search history to help answer your questions.
I’ve been testing ‘Gemini with personalization’ heavily since gaining access and I can’t stop thinking about how this could impact Gemini’s answers, and how this could potentially impact the Google search results (as AI Mode continues to evolve and could incorporate personalization as well). More about AI Mode(s) soon. Yes, that’s modes with an “s”.
Another step towards Jarvis, a personal AI assistant that knows everything about you.
By tapping into your Search history, Gemini can provide answers based on all the various things you have searched for on that subject. In my testing, it’s been pretty wild to see what it returns. Sure, it’s not perfect yet, but it definitely nails some answers based on your searches. And I’ve found that extremely helpful when it makes sense.
I’ll provide a few examples below, but I’ve been using ‘Gemini with personalization’ when asking about colleges for my son, tips to improve my golf game, new coding languages I should learn, retro games I should look into buying, exercises I should add to my workouts, and more. It’s not Jarvis yet, but I can see parts of Jarvis forming.
In addition, it’s important to understand that this is just the beginning. It’s easy to point out flaws when something is so new, but like we have seen since November of 2022, the technology keeps improving at a frantic pace.
Here is a quick example where I asked Gemini which golf shots I need to work on based on my Search history. Yep, I’ve been working on my sand shots. :)
And continuing the conversation with Gemini…
Also, with ‘Gemini with personalization’, having access to your Search history is key, but wait until it can combine more data like Maps (where you’ve traveled), YouTube (what you’ve watched), Photos (tons of data), your files (what you’re working on), and more. Gemini already enables you to connect some apps for additional functionality and data, and now we have personalization based on your Search history. Jarvis will be powerful when it combines all of this to answer your questions.
Add Gemini Live to the mix:
It’s also worth noting that Gemini Live is a powerful feature in the Gemini app that enables you to have live conversations with the AI chatbot. Now imagine doing that based on Gemini tapping into your Search history. Then Gemini gets even closer to Jarvis since you are having an actual live conversation with your AI assistant.
Again, we are rapidly approaching a Jarvis-like assistant that knows everything about you. The benefit of that (hopefully) will be powerful answers to your questions, helping you accomplish tasks based on your personal background, knowledge, likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. For example, think about how Jarvis would help Tony Stark in Iron Man.
Here’s another quick example of “Gemini with personalization” in action. I asked it which exercises I should add to my strength training workouts based on my Search history. Gemini knows that I play golf, baseball, and other swing sports. It also knows that I run a lot and I’m looking to improve strength and flexibility in my shoulders and back.
And continuing the conversation with Gemini…
A New SERP: AI Mode that’s personalized?
If, and when, personalization comes to AI Mode, the search results could be radically different. Note, AI Mode was recently launched in beta and I’ve been heavily testing it. AI Mode is like having Gemini or ChatGPT in the search results and it enables you to “continue the conversation” by asking follow-up questions. Adding personalization there makes complete sense (when the user wants it), and I can definitely see that making it way into AI Mode.
Personalized search results based on your Seach history could rock a SERP. Each user would have their own search results page. Yep, say goodbye to what “rank” means at that point. Ranking tools won’t be able to track the personalized SERP, GSC data will be even more confusing, and site owners will not know where they rank for each user that’s tapping into ‘Gemini with personalization’ in AI Mode. And if you want to know how GSC might track AI Mode, then check out my post on the subject. “AI Mode with personalization” would make the data even more confusing…
Here’s a mockup of AI Mode with personalization. This is NOT live yet.
But Wait, There’s More!
Sorry to channel Billy Mays in this post, but Google is working on plenty of other powerful tools that could make their way to Jarvis. I’ll quickly cover them below and how personalization would be key.
Project Mariner: Completing tasks for you.
Project Mariner is Google’s version of an agent that will complete tasks for you. For example, it can browse websites and take action (like researching sites, buying products, planning a vacation, eventually booking that vacation, and more). Personalization could obviously be extremely powerful when combined with an AI agent. This ties back to my original example from 2022 with Tony Stark’s assistant named Jarvis that helped Iron Man through some tough situations based on everything it knows about him.
Project Astra: Jarvis will see what you see.
With Project Astra, Gemini can use your camera to see the world and provide answers to your questions. Yep, Jarvis will need eyes just like it did in Iron Man. By the way, it sounds like Astra is starting to roll out for some people. So that’s not far away…
AI Modes, And Possibly MANY: Yep, Jarvis will be skilled in many areas.
I mentioned AI Mode earlier and how I’ve had access since it was launched in beta. Well, Tom Critchlow caught a weird leak while testing AI Mode. He saw MANY AI Modes, like 47 of them to be exact. For example, Neural Chef, Star Gazer, Airport AIO, Visit Guide, and more. And if you add personalization to those additional AI Modes, you can see how powerful that might be… Stay tuned on that front since it was just a leak (and those have not rolled out yet).
Jarvis is coming and the SERPs might never be the same.
The pace of change with AI chatbots has been incredible since ChatGPT launched. One thing is for sure, Google caught up pretty quickly after issuing that “Code Red” in early 2023. Gemini has been expanding quickly, and Google is adding more and more functionality to its AI chatbot. And now with personalization, Gemini can become more like Jarvis – a personal AI assistant that can answer questions based on everything it knows about you. Right now it’s based on your Search history, but eventually it can expand to all of your experiences (like Maps, YouTube, your files, emails, and more).
It’s both incredible, and scary, at the same time. I’ll cover more about this as time goes on. Stay tuned.
GG