Google is reportedly in the process of testing a text-to-speech feature for Chrome’s desktop reading mode, aiming to provide article narration for users. This experimentation has been noted by X (formerly Twitter) user Leopeva64, who mentioned that the feature is currently available in Chrome Canary, which serves as Google’s experimental version of Chrome, as reported by The Verge.
This new development entails Chrome for desktop introducing a “read aloud” option for articles. The initial implementation of this feature, as observed in the Canary version, seems relatively basic but is functional. Users can activate the feature by clicking a play button located at the top of an article while in reading mode. Leopeva64 even shared a link to a video that demonstrates the functionality of this feature on Reddit.
However, it’s worth noting that Google may need to refine certain aspects of the feature. The voice used for text-to-speech is described as robotic, and there is a minor issue where it spells out a header instead of simply reading the word aloud.
In other related news, Google’s AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) is undergoing a significant enhancement. This feature, known as “SGE while browsing,” is currently in an experimental phase. Google announced in a blog post, “When you’re trying to grasp the intricacies of a new topic, you often need to navigate lengthy or complex web pages, and pinpointing specific details isn’t always easy. Therefore, we are launching an early experiment in Search Labs called ‘SGE while browsing,’ which is currently available in the Google app on Android and iOS and will soon be introduced to Chrome on desktop
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