on tuesday, google introduced ai mode, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence feature designed to deliver more in-depth and personalized answers to users' search queries.
announced during the company’s annual google i/o developer conference, ai mode marks a significant evolution from last year’s ai overviews—google’s first generative ai tool integrated into its search engine.
sundar pichai, ceo of google and parent company alphabet, described ai mode as a “complete reimagining of search,” noting that the feature will be gradually rolled out to users worldwide. “we’ve entered a new chapter in the ai platform shift,” pichai said, highlighting how decades of research are now becoming a reality for people around the globe.
a demonstration video showcased how ai mode functions. when users input long, complex questions, ai mode displays real-time data on how many sources it's searching and quickly generates a summary answer at the top of the page. a sidebar also provides links to relevant websites for further reading.
additionally, google is testing a new capability called “search live,” which allows users to search using video or voice input. in one example, a user films a popsicle stick bridge and asks how to strengthen it. the ai responds via voice: “to make it stronger, consider adding more triangles to the design.”
beginning next week, google will integrate its latest and most advanced ai model, gemini 2.5, into search. described by the company as its “most intelligent model yet,” gemini 2.5 is expected to enhance ai mode’s performance even further.
building on ai overviews
google started testing ai mode in march 2025. the feature builds upon ai overviews, which debuted in the u.s. in may 2024 and now reaches 1.5 billion users globally. ai overviews offers ai-generated summaries, sometimes eliminating the need to click through to source websites. however, this has raised concerns among content creators and site owners.
a study by ahrefs found that ai overviews led to a 35% drop in average click-through rates for top-ranking search pages, sparking criticism from publishers who argue that it reduces site traffic.
accuracy concerns
some industry experts are cautious. “by integrating ai mode into core search, google is trying to meet demand for ai while maintaining user trust,” wrote gadjo sevilla, a senior analyst at emarketer. “but the risk of factual errors and hallucinations remains, which could push users toward rival platforms.”
indeed, early versions of ai overviews were criticized for inaccuracies. one bizarre result even suggested adding glue to pizza or eating a rock daily, according to the mit technology review. google acknowledged these errors and said improvements are ongoing.
despite the challenges, google maintains that ai mode is delivering value. “we gather in-product feedback and perform quantitative research to assess satisfaction,” a company spokesperson told cbs moneywatch. “our data shows that the introduction of ai overviews has increased user satisfaction and perceived helpfulness.”