On Tuesday, if you visited Google or opened your Chrome browser, you may have noticed something a little different. The homepage featured an animated doodle. Click it, and you’re taken straight to AI Mode, Google’s new step in redefining how we search online. The doodle even had a share button.
“AI Mode is where we will first bring our frontier capabilities into search,” CEO Sundar Pichai expressed.
So, what exactly is AI Mode, and why is Google pushing it front and center?
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What is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode is Google’s fresh take on search. Now instead of just returning a list of links, it combines same search results with AI-generated summaries and answers, pulling in content from across the internet. The idea? Give users quicker, clearer responses.
It’s powered by Gemini 2.5, an upgraded version of Google’s core AI model. This technology distills the web’s information into concise, useful responses, often with handy links for further exploration.
“You can ask nuanced questions that might have previously taken multiple searches — like exploring a new concept or comparing detailed options — and get a helpful AI-powered response with links to learn more,” Robby Stein, Google’s VP of Search, explained in a blog post.
Whether you’re struggling to work out which is the best tablet to buy for your child, what are the advantages and disadvantages of a Mediterranean diet, or which is better, GPT-4o and Claude 3? Well, AI Mode is focused on making the process at least a bit smarter and straightforward.
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How does AI Mode work?
You can type, talk, or even bring pictures, and the artificial intelligence will comprehend your inquiry and reply. This multi-modal capability makes it flexible in the sense that you can either request a recipe idea with an image of your pantry or use voice to request a question you want answered, and you are on the road.
How to use AI Mode
While penning this article, AI Mode is widely available in the US and is also being tested in India. If you’re in the US, you’re all set to try it. Here’s how:
Go to the Google homepage and look for the ‘AI Mode’ option next to the search bar.
Visit directly at google.com/aimode.
Use the Google app on your phone and tap the AI Mode button on the home screen.
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“This is the future of Google search, a search that goes beyond information to intelligence,” Elizabeth Reid, vice president and head of search at Google, said in the same blog post.