Google Search is rapidly embracing AI technology. On Wednesday, March 5, the company revealed plans to expand its AI Overviews feature to a wider range of search queries, making it visible to users worldwide, including those not logged into Google accounts. An even more advanced AI-powered search tool in Google, dubbed AI Mode, is also making debut. This feature integrates a search-focused chatbot directly into the main Google interface, resembling competitors like Perplexity or ChatGPT Search.
Google warns: We may not get it right always
Google cautions that AI-driven search isn’t infallible. In AI Mode, overviews may adopt a more conversational tone and occasionally veer into inaccuracies—termed “hallucinations” in tech parlance. “As with any nascent AI product, we won’t always be perfect,” Stein wrote in a blog post, admitting that some responses might unintentionally seem opinionated or adopt a persona.
To mitigate risks, stricter safeguards are being implemented for health and finance-related queries in AI Mode. The feature’s need for refinement is why it’s debuting exclusively in the experimental Labs section.
How to access AI mode in Google
Currently, AI Mode is in the testing phase, accessible only to Google One AI Premium subscribers who must activate it through the Search Labs section. Only subscribers of Google’s $20-per-month Google One AI Premium will be allowed to test the AI feature for now.
How and why of AI Mode in Google
The concept behind AI Mode is that many Google users might prefer AI-generated results as their primary search output. By switching to AI Mode—available as a tab on the search page or Google app, alongside options like Images or News—users receive a generated response derived from Google’s vast search index, interspersed with a few relevant links. The experience mimics interacting with chatbots like Gemini, but it leverages a Search-specific model capable of accessing real-time data and engaging directly with the web.
AI Mode underscores the growing significance of AI-generated content within Google Search and the company’s increasing trust in its models’ capabilities, despite past publicized errors like suggesting glue on pizza or rock consumption. Robby Stein, a VP of product on the Search team, notes, “Users of AI Overviews are posing more complex questions to Google—queries that were trickier to handle previously.” With the integration of the Gemini 2.0 model into AI Overviews, Stein believes Google will excel at addressing math, coding, and other queries demanding advanced reasoning.
As Google delves deeper into AI-driven search, it appears to be shifting away from its traditional reliance on website links—a cornerstone of its original pact with the internet. However, Stein refutes this notion, asserting, “AI Overviews provide context that encourages users to click through to websites, where they tend to linger longer. These users may even be more valuable to site owners because they arrive better informed.” He hopes AI Overviews and AI Mode will attract new users for novel purposes rather than displacing existing search habits.
Stein emphasizes that AI Mode isn’t a precursor to a total search overhaul, given the diverse ways people use Google, which a chatbot alone couldn’t fully replace. Yet, Google’s AI initiatives are undeniably enveloping and transforming the essence of the Google search experience.