New artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that make searching the web more like talking to a friend and start-ups are hoping that with this new technology they would be able to challenge Google.

Understanding natural language, a thing that has typically been difficult for computers to do, is the main challenge and companies are developing search software can do exactly that.

Such a solution specifically for e-commerce has been developed by Israel-based start-up Twiggle. Making searching sites for items a lot easier is the aim of the new software that it is developing. The company is backed by Chinese online shopping giant Alibaba.

“We are trying to bring the search experience as close as possible to the positive aspect of the in-store experience,” Amir Konigsberg, chief executive of Twiggle, told CNBC.

“In-store, you have an interpersonal dialogue with a sales person who helps you buy what you want. You don’t say you want a ‘jacket black size 42’. You say: ‘Hey I want a black jacket, I want to look smart because I’ve got a wedding tomorrow.’ That’s the experience we are replicating online, to bring a much more human aspect to search,” he added.

An area of AI that is seen as the future of the industry is this kind of search requires natural language processing.

Another company looking to make an impact in search through AI techniques is FacilityLive. Its technology can make an impact in the Internet of Things (IOT) bets the Italian start-up which has raised around 30 million euros ($34 million). Everything from smartwatches to buildings being connected to the internet is related ot this technology.

More personal data will be produced with an increasing amount of items being connected to the IOT, explains Gianpiero Lotito, CEO and founder of FacilityLive. Personal data such as health records or taxes are to be digitized by government at the same time. However current search solutions are not up to scratch in order for a person to trawl through their own data even though in this way users will have a wealth of information about them available online.

“The need to have tools to access the information and to organize things, and to have a more precise search, is the real battlefield of the future,” Litito says.

“For example you want to go to eat a pizza with certain characteristic in a place you love, you want to make a reservation. So from your car with your display, you can reserve your place in the restaurant and ask for the menu and choose your pizza. When you are near the restaurant, the city gives you information to your car, where the nearest garage is, and where you have more places and the price. You can do this all via search. This is the real revolution,” Lotito said giving an example.

But since the titans of the industry are already working on similar solutions, it’s not likely to be an easy path for either of these start-ups. In addition to allowing users to point their phone at items and find them online, the A9 software which is Amazon working on and is based on visual search, will also conduct more complex text-based search. Natural language search capabilities and AI is also being boosted by Google.

“Think Apple against Ericson, Sony and Nokia, 12 years ago. It seemed impossible for Apple to win but they won because they had better execution,” Lotito said.

(Adapted from CNBC)

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