KUALA LUMPUR – Google has begun rolling out a new “AI Mode” in its search engine – a major upgrade that integrates artificial intelligence via a chat feature and positions the platform closer to a conversational assistant than a traditional search tool. The rollout begins in the United States this week.
The feature, introduced at Google’s annual I/O developer conference, marks a shift in the company’s approach to search, embedding chatbot-style responses and more advanced reasoning capabilities into the core product.
According to Google, the move reflects a broader shift “from information to intelligence”.
“We launched AI Overviews last year at I/O, and since then there’s been a profound shift in how people are using Google Search,” the company said in a statement.
“AI Overviews is one of the most successful launches in Search in the past decade.”
The AI Overviews feature – which offers summarised answers at the top of search results – is now used 1.5 billion times a month across more than 200 countries, according to CEO Sundar Pichai.
In major markets such as the US and India, it has driven a more than 10% increase in usage for complex and exploratory queries.
AI Mode builds on that foundation. It allows users to pose longer, more complex questions, receive contextual replies, and follow up with additional prompts. The responses include web links but prioritise AI-generated summaries.
It was reported that AI Mode is being offered directly in the search bar without requiring any opt-in via Google Labs.
“This should mean less time spent browsing the web itself, and more time spent talking with Google’s AI tools,” Leo Gebbie, a principal analyst at CCS Insight said as quoted by BBC.
However, he noted that changes to the search experience could also affect Google’s core advertising revenue model.
Google is currently under antitrust scrutiny in the US over allegations of maintaining a monopoly in online search – a backdrop that makes this transformation particularly significant.
According to reports, analysts say tighter AI integration could either reinforce Google’s dominance or disrupt its profit model by reducing ad-driven clicks.
AI Overviews faced early backlash for occasionally inaccurate or “bizarre” answers – one user posted a response recommending eating rocks, another claimed glue could help pizza cheese stick better, among other examples. Google called those “isolated examples”, BBC reported.
Despite those missteps, Pichai says the technology is evolving quickly: “With more advanced reasoning, you can ask AI both longer and more complex queries.”
The company also previewed other AI-related projects, including plans for new smart glasses co-developed with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, which will include a camera, mic and speakers.
These are seen as a direct response to Meta’s AI-enabled Ray-Ban collaboration.
For now, AI Mode is only available in the US, with no timeline yet announced for expansion to other countries. – May 21, 2025