For those who said Google Search is dead, there’s good news. Google is rolling out AI Mode to all US users starting May 20, 2025.
Built on Google’s Gemini 2.5 technology, the new feature will allow users to perform AI-powered searches in a separate tab. It’s a step up from the current AI Overviews.
You can use this feature to perform tasks like finding the best football tickets or shopping online. Like other AI-based searches, the goal of AI mode is to provide complete answers to your questions without requiring a single “click.”
This feature is truly amazing. So what exactly is AI mode? Let’s take a look at how to use it and what it can do.
What is Google AI Mode?
Google AI Mode is a new feature in Google Search. It uses generative AI to provide detailed, conversational answers to complex questions.
You can use it to plan a trip to multiple cities, compare laptops based on your needs, or even find dinner ideas that match your home’s appliances.
AI Mode allows users to search for answers directly by combining answers to their questions instead of having to search multiple websites and do their own research.
This saves time by pulling information from multiple websites and providing a single, comprehensive answer. The UI of AI Mode is also very good.
Rather than just showing a summary of results like AI overviews, AI mode encompasses the entire search experience. When you turn on AI Mode, you’ll be taken to a new look at Google Search that will make you want to stay on the platform longer.
This mode opens in a separate tab, so you won’t see the usual blue links. You can ask follow-up questions, get contextual suggestions, and more, as if you were talking to a chatbot. This can change the way users behave. Instead of visiting websites, they stay within Google’s tools.
And this system isn’t just for searches.
What can you do with Google’s AI Mode?
As of now, AI Mode can do a lot more than just search. Google is continuing to roll out new features for AI Mode, so expect more features in the coming months.
The following information will be available to you soon.
1. Deep Search
Need more than a few links for a question? AI Mode will perform hundreds of searches in the background to generate detailed answers with full references. Think of it as having a researcher right in your browser at any time.
2. Live Search with Camera
Google’s Project Astra lets you point your phone’s camera at objects. For example, you can point it at a houseplant, a math equation, or an item on a shelf and ask what it is and how it works. It’s a visual search system that can be used instantly.
3. Task Assistant
Looking for tickets for an event? Want to make a reservation for dinner? AI Mode can handle these basic tasks right from within the search. It will suggest options based on your preferences, filter them, and help you complete tasks. No need to switch from one app to another.
4. Personalized Answers
AI Mode can use your search history and information from Gmail or other Google apps to create personalized answers that are more relevant to you. For example, if you search for hiking, it will give you more interesting suggestions. This is subtle, but it makes your search feel more relevant.
5. Create custom charts and graphs
Do you have questions that are data-heavy? AI Mode can turn your questions into interactive charts and visual summaries. This is especially useful for topics like sports statistics, finance, or market trends. No more searching through spreadsheets.
6. AI-Powered Shopping
Shopping has become more like a conversation. You can tell us what you want, like “white sneakers with good support, under $100.” AI will find the right products for you. In some cases, you can even try on the product online.
How to use Google’s AI Mode?
Google’s AI Mode is currently only available to users in the United States. Previously, it was only available to those who signed up for Search Labs, but it’s now available to all users in the United States.
You can only access AI Mode with your own email address. If you’re using a Google Workspace email, you won’t see this feature.
For more details, you can check out Google’s AI Mode usage guide.
If you’re in the United States, you can see this feature.
No installation or browser changes are required. Go to Google.com and look at the top of the page. You’ll see a new button in the search bar that says “AI Mode.” Click it to enter the feature.
This will open in a separate tab, and instead of the usual list of links, you’ll see a new page with AI technology.
If you want to get the latest features early, you can access them from Search Labs.
- Make sure you’re signed in to your Google Account.
- Go to Search Labs.
- Turn on AI Mode from the list of experiments.
Once enabled, you can switch between classic search and AI Mode in your search bar.
This is still in beta, so not all users will see the same features. Google is always doing A/B testing, so some features like camera-based search or full personalization may take time to reach everyone.
What does this mean for SEO?
It’s no surprise that AI Mode will change SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in two major ways.
First, it will provide users with direct answers that are AI-powered, like AI Overviews. So, the number of people who click on links that they’ve seen before will be reduced. Why would they keep scrolling down if they can see the answer right in front of them?
Second, even if you click on links in AI’s answers, you won’t be able to track where they came from. The results from AI Mode won’t appear in Google Search Console. You also won’t know how many times they’ve been viewed, how many times they’ve been clicked, or whether your content was used in the answer.
This is temporary. Google’s AI Features documentation says that AI Mode can measure clicks. So better tracking systems may come later. But for now, it’s a blind spot for SEO.
How to prepare as a marketer?
The best preparation is not just to focus on search engine rankings, but to be visible to AI. You’re not just writing for crawlers these days, you’re also writing for generative engines and AI. Google’s AI Mode is part of that.
We’ve put together a guide to help you learn how to be visible to generative engines.
While you wait for Google’s next update, you can use our Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) tool to do the following:
- Monitor your business’s visibility in AI-generated answers.
- Optimize content for Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI engines.
- Make your content visible beyond blue links.
Also Read: What is AI? Beginner-Friendly Guide to Artificial Intelligence
Final Thoughts
Google’s AI Mode is more than just a new feature, it’s a complete overhaul of the search engine. The search results page as we know it is disappearing behind AI-generated answers. And the visibility that marketers and SEOs have worked hard to build over the decades could be disappearing.
Google is rolling out better tracking systems. Search Console may finally be on board with these changes. But let’s face it, Google isn’t the only one bringing AI to search.
If your content isn’t showing up in AI-generated answers, no one will see it. If you’re not tracking your presence in these new generative engines, you’re flying blind.
So start optimizing for generative engines now. Sign up for our Generative Engine Optimization tool to see if your business is visible.
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