Google Introduces AI Mode in Search: Smarter, Personalised Results with Real-Time Insights

Previously available only through SearchLabs and limited to a small group of testers, AI Mode is nowaccessible to all Labs users in the United States. Soufi Esmaeilzadeh, Directorof Product Management for Google Search, confirmed the wider rollout, stating, “We’reremoving the waitlist so anyone in the US can now get immediate access to AIMode in Labs.”

AI Mode is being described as a more advanced evolution of the AI Overviews that some users mayalready be familiar with. In standard Search results today, users sometimes seean AI-generated summary at the top of the page, synthesising information fromvarious links. AI Mode takes this concept further, offering much more depth and personalisation.

For example, if you're planning a trip, a single query in AI Mode can nowcombine details about flights, hotel options, weather conditions, localattractions, and events into one comprehensive response. It's not just aboutgiving answers, but also about organising your needs into a usable, actionableformat.

How AI Mode Works

AI Mode retains all the familiar features of Google Search. Still, it adds advancedcapabilities to handle multimodalqueriesinvolving text and images, especially onmobile devices, where the experience is optimised. The tool supports layeredqueries like “What’s the best health insurance for freelancers with chronicconditions?” and adapts responses as you follow up or refine your question.

Google explains that this interactive experience is part of its effort tomake search results more dynamic and responsive. The AI can respond to ongoingconversations, tailoring responses in real time, which is particularly usefulfor long-term tasks like researching purchases, planning travel, or managingpersonal projects.

Visual Enhancements and Product Integration

To enhance the AI Mode experience, Google has added new visual cards to the searchresults. These cards provide enriched information on local businesses andproducts, including details like ratings, hours of operation, current deals,prices, and even live availabilityfrom nearby stores. Users can tap these cards to access furtherinformation or take immediate actions such as calling a business or gettingdirections.

These results are powered by Google’sShopping Graph, a continually updated database that includesover 45 billion product listings and more than 2 billion updates every hour. This ensures that users receiveaccurate,up-to-the-minute product and availability data during their searches.

Seamless User Experience on Desktop

AI Mode also introduces a persistentside panel on desktop, allowing users to easily revisit pastsearch topics. Whether you're in the middle of planning a vacation orconsidering a large purchase, this feature helps you pick up right where youleft off — complete with previously found information and the ability to askfollow-up questions without starting over.

As Google stated in a blog post, “So many of the questions people askare part of longer-running tasks and projects, and often they want to get backto the information they found. So now, we're making it easier to jump rightback in on desktop.”

Limited Availability with Global Potential

For now, AI Mode remains mostly available to users in the U.S. through Google Search Labs, and the companyis slowly experimenting with bringing the feature to the general public. A small percentage of U.S. users maystart seeing a dedicated “AI Mode” tab in the main Google Search interface,hinting at a broader rollout in the future.

Users outside the U.S., including those in India, can try to access AI Modeby signing up for Google ExperimentalLabs through the Google app.While Google continues to enhance AI Mode, the company emphasises that thisfeature is still evolving and welcomes user feedback to refine it further.Esmaeilzadeh added, “We’ll continue to quickly improve and evolve AI Modebased on your input.”

This major update arrives amid growing legal challenges for Google in theU.S., where the company is currently under scrutiny for monopolistic practicesin the search engine market. A court ruling has declared Google a monopoly, andthe remedies phase is ongoing, with potential outcomes that could force thetech giant to divest from key products like Chrome.Even as it faces legal headwinds, Google is pressing forward withinnovation, betting on AI Mode to reshape how people use Search — smarter,faster, and more intuitive than ever.