Google Search With a Dedicated ‘AI Mode’ Launching Soon

According to recent leaks and app teardowns, Google will soon take additional efforts to integrate AI into search by exposing more users to its Gemini agent.

The Information has reported that Google plans to introduce a new “AI Mode” to its search engine. The business will reportedly present an option to switch to AI Mode at the top of the results page, giving you access to an interface similar to its Gemini AI chatbot.

The Information also stated that the new AI Mode tab will be located to the left of the “All,” “Images,” “Videos,” and “Shopping” buttons. According to The Information, when you receive a response in AI Mode, Google will display links to similar articles as well as “a search bar below the conversational answer that prompts users to ‘Ask a follow-up…'”.

Google already promotes Gemini with links underneath its search page. (“5 Ways Gemini Can Help During the Holidays” is now displayed for me). Google search results may also include a “AI Overview,” which began with some “use glue for pizza sauce” infamy. People who dislike AI answers can avoid them by using URL parameters and proxy sites (or by switching to the “web” tab). Gemini has also been widely included in other Google products, including Pixel phones, Gmail, and Drive/Workspace. In addition, Google has been developing the ability to attach files to a web search for analysis.

This is consistent with Android Authority’s story from earlier this month, which found an AI Mode in a beta version of the Google App. 9to5Google also discovered code that suggests you can utilize AI Mode to ask queries using your voice. The Verge contacted Google for comment, but did not receive an instant response.

With OpenAI launching search in ChatGPT for all users, Google is expected to face more pressure to consolidate search and AI. The company already shows AI search summaries for select inquiries and introduced the service to dozens of new countries in October.

At this point, it’s difficult to distinguish where Google stops and AI starts. The search engine giant has invested much in AI technology, and it shows. According to new claims, Google appears to be working on a special AI option for its search engine.

It may seem strange that Google is doing this since it already has AI Overviews. That appears to be an AI mode in and of itself, but according to the sources, this will be slightly different.

AI Mode may make Google Search more like Gemini

We don’t know much about this feature, but we do know that you will be able to activate AI mode once you receive your results. When you activate it, you will be presented with an interface similar to Gemini. This will make Google’s interface more chatbot-like.

Something about AI Mode might remind you of Perplexity. When you engage the mode, you will see appropriate connections to connected web pages, as well as a “Ask a follow-up” option. You may notice that choice below your chat responses.

Perplexity is a search engine powered by artificial intelligence (AI). When you perform a search, you will see follow-up questions beneath the results. These will enable you to continue your search by posing pertinent questions. Perplexity recently launched a scheme in which corporations can pay to have follow-up questions sent to their websites.

Right now, we don’t know when or if Google will launch this option. There is a good chance it will. We know the firm is obsessed with AI technology, and it isn’t bashful about pushing it down our throats. According to the rumours, this feature will be far less accessible than AI Overviews. Google does not provide a mechanism to disable Overviews, but it appears that you will need to explicitly activate AI mode.

However, providing AI chat access directly from the search results page would undoubtedly reach a larger audience and increase Gemini’s visibility. Offering AI-powered search is critical for Google as ChatGPT presses forward with its own AI-powered search, which began with paying members and will be available to all free (logged-in) users this month as part of an OpenAI release blitz (called “ship-mas”). Microsoft also provides Copilot-powered search, and Perplexity provides AI-powered search of its own. Even DuckDuckGo, which normally positions itself as an alternative to Google policies, has both AI summaries and a privacy-conscious AI conversation filter.