Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Google introduced its latest innovation ‘AI Mode’ during its annual I/O developer conference in San Francisco on Tuesday (May 20), positioning the new AI-powered search feature as a potential game-changer for the company’s flagship Search Engine.
This rollout follows on last year’s launch of AI Overviews, an AI tool integrated within the search engine that marked a major shift in how users interact with Google Search.
According to the company, people are increasingly posing longer, more complex, and even multimodal queries. AI integration has helped simplify the process, enabling users to ask virtually anything and receive helpful answers linked to relevant web sources.
“That’s why AI Overviews has become one of the most successful launches in Search over the past decade,” said Elizabeth Reid, Google’s VP and Head of Search, on Tuesday (May 20). “When people use AI Overviews, we see higher satisfaction with search results and more frequent search activity overall.”
In major markets like the U.S. and India, AI Overviews has reportedly driven more than a 10% increase in the use of Google for query types that trigger AI-generated summaries, suggesting that once users try the feature, they’re inclined to use it more.
Riding the momentum, Google has now introduced AI Mode, which it touts as its most advanced search experience. The feature leverages improved reasoning capabilities and multimodal understanding, allowing users to explore topics more deeply through follow-up questions and curated web links.
“In the coming weeks, you’ll see a new tab for AI Mode appear in Search and in the search bar on the Google app,” Reid added.
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AI Mode utilizes a technique called query spreading, which breaks down complex questions into subtopics and runs multiple searches simultaneously. This approach allows Google to explore the web more comprehensively than traditional search, surfacing content that’s highly relevant and often buried in deeper corners of the internet.
The feature has been in testing within Google Labs since early this year and is now officially rolling out to users in the United States.
AI Mode is also the first place where Google is integrating the capabilities of Gemini, the company’s most powerful AI model to date. A special version of Gemini 2.5 will now power both AI Mode and AI Overviews in the U.S., offering a glimpse into the future of Google Search.
Looking ahead, Google says AI Mode will expand to include features like Deep Search, live search interactions, and even personalized shopping experiences such as buying tickets or clothing. It will also offer tailored recommendations based on past search activity, with the option to connect with other Google apps, starting with Gmail for added personal context.
As Google leans further into AI, the company says feedback will guide how it brings these tools into its core search experience globally.
(Raidi/Agung)
