Google is putting AI Mode right in Search

Google is launching AI Mode, a new search engine tool that uses AI to provide answers based on information within Google’s search index.
A small percentage of US users will start seeing an AI Mode tab in Google Search “in the coming weeks,” allowing them to test the feature outside of Google’s experimental Labs environment.
AI Mode differs from traditional search platforms and existing AI Overviews, providing a more conversational experience with AI-generated responses.
The new feature is available only to users over 18 who are paying for a Google One AI Premium subscription, but it will eventually become widely available.
AI Mode has been updated with new capabilities, including saved searches and visual cards for products and places, providing more information and context to users.

Google is preparing to publicly unleash its AI Mode search engine tool for the first time. The company announced today that “a small percentage” of people in the US will start seeing an AI Mode tab in Google Search “in the coming weeks,” allowing users to test the search-centric chatbot outside of Google’s experimental Labs environment.

In contrast to traditional search platforms that provide a wall of URL results based on the enquiry or descriptions a user has entered, Google’s AI Mode will answer questions with an AI-generated response based on information within Google’s search index. This also differs from the AI Overviews already available in Google Search, which sandwich an AI-generated summary of information between the search box and web results.

AI Mode will be located under its own dedicated tab that will appear first in the Search tab lineup, to the left of the “All,” “Images,” “Videos,” and “Shopping” tabs. It’s Google’s answer to large language model-based search engines like Perplexity and OpenAI’s ChatGPT search features. These search-specific AI models are better at accessing the web and real-time data than regular chatbots like Gemini, which should help them to provide more relevant and up-to-date responses.

A GIF demonstrating AI Mode in Google Search.

Google is also scrapping the waitlist for Labs users in the US to test AI Mode, allowing more people to opt in to try the Search feature before it becomes widely available. AI Mode is still only available to users who are over 18 and paying for a Google One AI Premium subscription, however.

AI Mode itself has also been updated with some new capabilities, including a feature that will save past searches to a new left-side panel, allowing users to quickly revisit topics or ask follow-up queries without starting a new conversation. Visual, clickable cards for products and places are also now starting to appear in AI Mode, providing information like opening hours, reviews, and ratings for businesses, and images, inventory, shipping details, and real-time prices for shoppable products.

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Q. When will Google’s AI Mode search engine tool be publicly available?

A. A small percentage of people in the US will start seeing an AI Mode tab in Google Search “in the coming weeks.”

Q. How does Google’s AI Mode differ from traditional search platforms?

A. AI Mode answers questions with an AI-generated response based on information within Google’s search index, unlike traditional search platforms that provide a wall of URL results.

Q. What is the location of the AI Mode tab in Google Search?

A. The AI Mode tab will be located under its own dedicated tab that appears first in the Search tab lineup, to the left of the “All,” “Images,” “Videos,” and “Shopping” tabs.

Q. Is AI Mode available to users who are not paying for a Google One AI Premium subscription?

A. No, AI Mode is still only available to users who are over 18 and paying for a Google One AI Premium subscription.

Q. What new capabilities has AI Mode been updated with?

A. AI Mode now includes features such as saving past searches to a left-side panel, visual, clickable cards for products and places, and providing information like opening hours, reviews, and ratings for businesses.

Q. How does AI Mode compare to other large language model-based search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT?

A. AI Mode is Google’s answer to these search-specific AI models, which are better at accessing the web and real-time data than regular chatbots like Gemini.

Q. Is AI Mode only available in the US?

A. The text does not specify that AI Mode is only available in the US, but it mentions that a small percentage of people in the US will start seeing an AI Mode tab in Google Search “in the coming weeks.”

Q. What is the purpose of scrapping the waitlist for Labs users in the US to test AI Mode?

A. The purpose is to allow more people to opt in to try the Search feature before it becomes widely available.

Q. How does AI Mode provide more relevant and up-to-date responses compared to regular chatbots like Gemini?

A. AI Mode’s search-specific AI models are better at accessing the web and real-time data, which should help them provide more relevant and up-to-date responses.