Google is reportedly experimenting with a new animation for its AI search summary feature, known as AI Overviews. This development was highlighted on Saturday when a social media user shared details about an updated loading animation that replaces the traditional blue lines used during the summary generation process for search queries. The new animation features a blue and purple roaming spotlight effect, reminiscent of the visuals utilized in the Gemini AI assistant on Android devices and Gemini Live.
AI Overviews May Get a Fresh Animation
A Reddit user, Gaiden206, posted a screenshot showcasing this new animation on the Bard subreddit on December 28, drawing attention from other users who reported experiencing the change themselves. Additionally, a report from 9to5Google has corroborated these sightings, noting that the animation is currently available to some users but has not been rolled out globally. Staff at Gadgets 360 have also been unable to confirm the existence of the new animation across their devices.
The new animation in AI Overviews
Photo Credit: Reddit/Gaiden206
The screenshot shared in the Reddit post reveals that the new animation appears following a search query and prior to the generation of a summary. Users currently view “blue lines” during this interval, but the proposed change introduces a blue and purple spotlight that roams across the screen. A similar design has been noted in both the Gemini AI assistant and Gemini Live.
In addition to the animation update, several other minor tweaks have been observed. Presently, the wait messages displayed while the AI composes a response include terms like “Searching” and “Generating.” In contrast, the recent screenshot illustrated new messages such as “Looking this up,” “Working on it,” and “Putting it all together.”
These modifications, while minor, suggest that Google may be working to enhance the user experience with AI Overviews, making loading times feel more engaging. This initiative aligns with comments made by CEO Sundar Pichai during a recent strategy meeting, where he emphasized the importance of scaling the consumer aspect of the company’s AI offerings and addressing genuine user concerns in the year ahead.
