Google is improving Overviews with AI Mode

Google is testing a new 'AI Mode' in Search. Our search habits could soon change, as an AI-powered chatbot-like experience provides conversational responses instead of a traditional list of links.

AI Mode wants to chat with you

Unlike the existing AI Overviews, which provide summaries at the top of search results, AI Mode is a separate full page of AI-generated answers to your various queries. The feature, powered by Google's Gemini 2.0 model , aims to handle more complex, open-ended questions that involve a back-and-forth dialog between you and the chatbot.

AI Mode has a dedicated tab on the Search page alongside the existing categories we know so well, like Images and News.

Select the AI ​​Mode tab and ask a question. Gemini operates in stealth mode and provides comprehensive answers. It also allows for follow-up questions via text, voice, or images. Answers are supplemented with links to source information and other relevant data.

Like Gemini, your previous queries will be collected in a narrow panel on the left. The Google Help page mentions that AI Mode requires Search History to be enabled; this lets you review previous questions and sync responses between your desktop and the Google apps for Android and iOS.

AI Mode for Google Search is a Labs experiment available to anyone in the US. Google's The Keyword blog says it's currently rolling out to a small group of users outside of Labs (US only). So there's a good chance you'll see it on your search results.

A step towards more conversational search

The introduction of AI Mode is Google's attempt to make Search a more intuitive and efficient tool without requiring multiple searches or separate access to Gemini. By leveraging its advanced AI technologies, Google aims to provide comprehensive, direct answers within the Search page.

It's not as annoying as AI Overviews, which can seem distracting to the links. AI Mode is just a tap away, so you don't have to open another tab and query Gemini separately. The integration between traditional search and AI-powered conversations now feels more natural.

This development also positions Google to better compete with AI-focused search alternatives like Perplexity and ChatGPT , which offer conversational responses. By providing you with an AI chatbot search alternative, Google wants to stay relevant and maintain its dominance in the search engine market.

While AI Mode is still in beta, its potential to change our search habits is huge. Like Gemini, it will have free and subscription options in the future. As Google continues to refine the feature, you can expect to have more conversational conversations while searching.

Google's AI Mode can now view and search images

Google is adding multimodal capabilities to its search-focused AI Mode chatbot, allowing it to "see" and answer questions about images, while also expanding access to AI Mode to "millions" more users.

The update combines a custom version of Gemini AI with the company's Lens image recognition technology, allowing AI Mode Search users to take or upload a photo and receive "rich, comprehensive feedback with links" about the photo's content. The multimodal update to AI Mode is available starting today and can be accessed in the Google app on Android and iOS.

'AI Mode builds on our years of work on visual search and takes it even further,' said Robby Stein, VP of product at Google Search. 'With Gemini's multimodal capabilities, AI Mode can understand the entire context of an image, including the context of how objects relate to each other and their unique materials, colors, shapes, and arrangements . '

Google says the update uses a 'fan-out technique' that asks multiple queries about the images it sees and any objects in them, to provide 'extremely nuanced and contextually relevant' responses . That allows it to do things like identify the books shown in images, make suggestions for similar titles with positive ratings, and answer questions to further compile recommendations.

AI Mode for Google Search serves as a competitor to Perplexity and ChatGPT Search, a chatbot-like experience that responds to requests with AI-generated summaries pulled from everything in Google's search index.

AI Mode launched exclusively to Google One AI Premium subscribers last month, albeit only in Labs. Now, Google says it has started rolling out AI Mode to 'millions' more Labs users in the US, not just paid AI Premium subscribers.

Lesley Montoya

Update 26 May 2025