Google Search Gets Smarter with AI Mode, Now Available for US Users

Alphabet’s Google has officially launched AI Mode in Search for all US users, marking a bold step in the company’s AI-driven evolution.

Announced at its annual developer conference in Mountain View, California, the rollout underscores Google's commitment to transforming search from a static results page into an interactive, conversational experience.

CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted that “decades of research” have culminated in this advancement, which builds on the previously introduced AI Overviews.

While Overviews surfaced quick answers above traditional blue links, AI Mode offers a deeper experience—inviting users to engage directly with an AI in natural, back-and-forth dialogue, much like interacting with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Pichai, kicking off the conference in Silicon Valley, noted:

"New AI mode is a total reimagining of search with more advanced reasoning. You can ask longer and more complex queries... and you can go further with follow-up questions."

Described by Head of Search Liz Reid as a “transformative moment,” the new mode enables complex queries, follow-ups, and rich responses that tap into Google’s latest advancements in reasoning and multi-modal AI.

She said:

"It searches across the entire web, going way deeper than the traditional search."

The feature appears as a dedicated tab within Search, allowing users to dive into topics effortlessly and conversationally.

Beyond Search, Google is extending these AI capabilities across its ecosystem.

Tools like Deep Research, powered by its AI lab DeepMind, are being updated to generate tailored reports by combining public web content with users’ personal documents.

This broader initiative reinforces Google’s strategy to stay ahead of rivals like OpenAI and Perplexity, while reimagining how people discover, understand, and act on information in the age of generative AI.

Google Ramps Up Efforts to Stay Ahead of Rivals

Pichai emphasized Google's urgency in the AI race, stating the company is shipping products faster than ever to get its most advanced models into users’ hands.

This accelerated rollout includes the Gemini AI app, which has already surpassed 400 million downloads, and AI Overviews, now serving over 1.5 billion users at the top of search results.

Google’s aggressive expansion into generative AI comes amid mounting pressure from rivals like OpenAI and Perplexity, both of which are rapidly advancing AI-powered search tools.

These challengers continue to release new capabilities, even as the broader industry grapples with persistent issues such as misinformation, unclear monetisation strategies, and the broader societal impact of AI.

One of the biggest concerns for Google lies in its shifting search experience.

As AI-generated summaries begin to replace traditional "blue link" search results, analysts warn this could erode the company’s core advertising business—long dependent on directing users to external websites.

Publishers, including major news outlets and platforms like Wikipedia, have voiced alarm over the potential collapse of referral traffic, threatening the web’s long-standing content ecosystem.

Adding to the pressure, Apple’s Eddy Cue recently testified in a landmark antitrust trial that Google search traffic on Apple devices declined in April—for the first time in over two decades.

Cue also hinted that Apple may soon offer AI-driven search alternatives like ChatGPT and Perplexity as default options, sending Google shares tumbling and fueling investor anxiety about the company’s long-term ad revenue.

The trial, which could result in Google being forced to divest parts of its business after a court ruled its search engine constitutes an illegal monopoly, underscores the stakes.

Yet despite the turbulence, Google retains a dominant edge—controlling roughly 90% of the global search market.

As Pichai noted, no other product is bringing generative AI to as many people as Google Search.

Google Unveils New AI Capabilities Across Platforms

Alongside the debut of AI Mode, Google is introducing a suite of new AI-powered tools aimed at broadening its generative AI capabilities across platforms.

This summer, the company plans to launch Gemini 2.5 Flash, a faster and more efficient version of its flagship AI model, optimised for responsiveness.

Google is also testing Deep Think, a model designed to excel in logical reasoning and code generation—signalling the company’s ambition to strengthen its technical edge.

The Gemini AI assistant will soon be integrated into Google Chrome, Search, and the mobile app, acting as a digital co-pilot that can summarise websites, help users navigate tabs, and interact contextually with pages.

Another major effort, Project Mariner, is in development as a smart comparison engine—similar to how one might scour the web for the best deals on concert tickets.

For creatives, Google unveiled Flow, a platform for AI-generated filmmaking that allows users to write scripts in natural language and render video scenes.

It also showcased Veo 3, a model capable of generating videos with realistic visuals, sound effects, and dialogue.

To address concerns about misuse, Google is expanding SynthID, its watermarking technology.

A new feature, the SynthID Detector, will allow users to upload content and verify whether it was AI-generated—an important step toward transparency in an increasingly synthetic media landscape.

Despite the breadth of these announcements, investors responded cautiously.

Alphabet’s stock fell nearly 2% following the event.

The subdued market reaction reflects broader scepticism: Google must not only match OpenAI’s momentum but also preserve the relevance—and profitability—of its core search business.

As Arvind Jain, a former Google engineer turned startup CEO, put it:

"This is the first time there’s real competition."