Alphabet Inc.’s Google is set to roll out AI Mode, a new artificial intelligence-powered search feature that allows users to ask multipart questions and receive a cohesive, AI-generated summary of multiple lines of inquiry.
The experimental feature, powered by Google’s latest AI model Gemini 2.0, represents a significant shift in how the search giant envisions the feature of its core product.
AI Mode is designed to process text, images, and video simultaneously, delivering a more sophisticated search experience.
Unlike traditional keyword-based searches, it anticipates follow-up questions and provides a comprehensive response in a single result, according to Robby Stein, Google’s VP of Product for Search.
Stein explained that AI Mode runs in a separate tab from the main search page, optimized for complex queries that aren’t well suited for traditional search methods.
Early tests indicate that queries made in AI Mode are twice as long as regular searches, suggesting users are engaging with the feature in a more detailed and exploratory manner.
For the first time in its history, Google is putting a paywall on a search feature, making AI Mode available exclusively to users who subscribe to Google’s AI subscription package.
Google’s AI-powered search enhancements come as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other AI-driven startups like Perplexity and Anthropic gain traction, posing a challenge to Google’s dominance in online search.
OpenAI’s chatbot, in particular, has reshaped how people interact with AI to retrieve information, introducing users to a more conversational and direct approach to search.
While AI Mode promises a faster and more intuitive way to find information, it also raises concerns about the impact on web traffic and content creators.
By summarizing information instead of directing users to individual websites, Google risks reducing traffic to publishers, bloggers, and news sites—many of which rely on search visibility for ad revenue.
Alongside AI Mode, Google is also integrating its latest Gemini model into AI Overviews, the company’s existing AI-generated answer feature. This upgrade will improve the handling of complex topics like math and coding. Additionally, Google is expanding AI Overviews to teen users, broadening its reach beyond adults.