Yahoo testing new AI Search features

Yahoo appears to be testing some new AI related features within Yahoo Search. In fact, some are seeing Yahoo show a banner at the top of Yahoo’s home page that says, “We’re building a new yahoo.com to show more of what’s interesting to you.”

The new search features include:

• AI powered chat
• AI generated answers within search

Note, you need to login to Yahoo to see the new Yahoo Search features.

AI chat in Yahoo. For the past week or so, we’ve been seeing signs of Yahoo incorporating AI Chat features in Yahoo Search. Now, we are seeing that more prominently in the Yahoo Search interface.

Here are some screenshots from Sachin Patel on X:

Here is a screenshot of the message about the new Yahoo and I am told the try now link goes to Yahoo Search:

Here is the Yahoo Search home page:

The Yahoo Search bar with AI elements built within it:

Here are what these AI Chat answers look like:

Yahoo AI Generated Answers. Yahoo Search is also incorporating AI generated answers directly in the Yahoo Search results. These seem to be powered by OpenAI and show directly in Yahoo Search, where you see a snippet of the AI generated answer and then can click to expand the answer to show more:

Here are more screenshots:

More information. Is this part of Yahoo’s renewed return to Search from 2023, which we were expecting in 2024. Or is this just some more basic AI licensed services within Yahoo Search. It is hard to tell but we will be watching.

Why we care. With all these new AI elements that everyone is rolling out, differentiating search features can be easier than ever before. Here are signs of Yahoo making some of these efforts.

As I said, we have been expecting Yahoo to make its comeback to search for a while now and it seems we may be seeing some elements of that.

I for one am looking forward to a new Yahoo Search experience.