Google Search has a new feature: it analyzes files and answers questions

The Google search engine is ready to offer users a new service – a search for a document that can be downloaded from a local machine. The corresponding function was discovered right in the search bar.

The mechanism of the new function was demonstrated by the social network user X Khushal Bherwani. A button with the image of a paperclip appeared in the Google search bar – next to the voice search and “Lens” buttons. By clicking on the button with the image of a paperclip, the user uploads a file from their computer to Google, after which the search engine offers to “ask anything about the file” right in the search bar.

The document search in ChatGPT works in a similar way – here users can also upload files and ask questions about them; a similar opportunity is available in the Google Gemini chatbot, but to use it, a paid Gemini Advanced subscription is required. The appearance of this function in a free search engine, on the one hand, will increase its value in the eyes of users; on the other hand, it may raise certain doubts about data protection – It's really better to be more careful when uploading files with sensitive information.

It's not clear at this time how big this experiment is, or whether this feature has a chance of being widely deployed. It's also unclear whether Google will limit itself to the web interface or add the ability to analyze local files to the mobile app.