I can't be the only person who types a question into Google, opens 12 tabs from the results, and somehow still can't find a straight answer. Google AI Mode is here to save me, specifically, from that tab chaos.
Instead of just spitting out a list of links, AI Mode uses Google's Gemini model to pull together a full, conversational answer—right inside Search. And if you don't like the first answer, you can chat back with it, just like you would with any other AI chatbot. It's like talking with a very smart friend who conveniently already read the whole internet.
Here's everything you need to know about Google's newest experimental feature that's part search engine, part chatbot, and part overly enthusiastic intern who highlights everything.
Table of contents:
What is Google AI Mode?Â
Google's new AI Mode feature is built into Search and adds a conversational, chatbot-like experience to your Google searches. If you enable it in your profile, you can ask complex, multi-part questions and receive AI-generated responses scraped from the web.Â
The feature uses Google's Gemini model, which has enhanced reasoning capabilities and supports multimodal inputs, including text, images, and voice.
You can ask detailed questions—about things like comparing products or planning trips—and get nuanced answers that synthesize information from multiple online sources. And like a chatbot, the feature also supports follow-up questions, so your search experience feels more interactive and tailored to you.
How to access Google AI ModeÂ
AI Mode is currently available to adults in the U.S. with a personal Gmail account (it's not available for Workspace accounts yet).
If you have access, you'll first have to enable AI Mode in Search Labs while signed into your account.
Once it's enabled, you should see an AI Mode button below the search bar on Google's homepage.
Clicking AI Mode takes you to this chat interface, where you can ask questions like you would with any other chatbot.
You can also access AI Mode from the search results page, before or after you type something into the search bar.
How Google AI Mode worksÂ
AI Mode functions a lot like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity: you ask it a question, it pulls a response synthesized from around the web, and you can ask follow-up questions to refine your search. It's like having an assistant to help comb through Google Search results with you.Â
For example, let's say you type How often should I bathe my Pekingese dog? into Google Search. Clicking AI Mode will prompt a response from the AI chatbot (along with a few sources in the sidebar that you can click into).
But the AI response might be a little too generalized for your taste—your Pekingese is short-haired. You can type that follow-up into the Ask anything bar at the bottom of the screen.Â
AI Mode will take your follow-up response in the context of the previous search and refine the AI search results to match.
You can ask more follow-up questions, and AI Mode will run multiple searches to narrow down the output until you find what you're looking for.Â
The main benefit here over using the Gemini chatbot is that you can toggle back and forth between AI Mode and standard Search if the AI starts going off the rails.
How AI Mode fits into Google's other AI features
I'll be honest—when I heard about AI Mode, my first thought was, Isn't this just Gemini? And the answer is yes, in a way.Â
Here's a breakdown of Google's AI tools and how they relate to each other:
Gemini (formerly Bard) is a standalone conversational assistant. It's available through its own app and website, and it has deep integrations with other Google apps, like Flights, YouTube, Docs, and Gmail.
AI Mode integrates that same underlying tech directly into your everyday Google searches. Instead of listing links, it gives you a synthesized answer—sometimes with links, images, or follow-up questions you can click into. It's like having Gemini on standby whenever you Google something, and you can easily switch back to regular Search.
Gemini in Google Workspace adds helpful AI features into tools like Docs, Gmail, Sheets, and Slides. There, Gemini can summarize long threads, rewrite emails, build presentations from bullet points, or help analyze data—all without leaving the app you're working in.
Google AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience, or SGE) are a kind of middle ground: they've been showing up at the top of some search results with quick AI-generated summaries of the topic. AI Mode builds on that idea and will likely eventually replace AI Overviews completely.
In short: AI Mode is Gemini, applied specifically to Search. It's part of a bigger push to bring Google's AI capabilities into the tools you use every day, in ways that feel intuitive rather than overwhelming. And what exists now is only the beginning for AI Mode: Google plans to integrate more features, like Deep Research, soon.
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