MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KTAL/KMSS) In the past, if you asked Google, “How old was George Washington?” it could for sure give you a direct answer. However, if you were to type a general follow-up like, “What about Donald Trump?” things would get a lot more general. Google Search would not link your second question to be a continuation of the first question about age. Now, that’s all changing.
With Google’s new search upgrades, users are able to easily switch back and forth between standard Google Search and a more conversational “AI Mode.”
Google, the world’s number one search engine according to Statista, has become even stronger with the release of this new addition to its software.
Diving headfirst into the AI assistant world with the launch of Google Gemini, an AI model built in 2023 to compete directly with ChatGPT. Google Gemini provides direct access to Google’s vast database and AI models on your device, enabling users to receive help with writing, brainstorming and learning — all in a way that’s more like chatting with a friend.
So what is the difference with AI mode? Well, what better way to test Google AI mode directly than to ask it directly?
Hey Google: If Gemini was already a chatbot, how is AI mode any different?
“Gemini is a tool that answers questions about many topics. AI Mode is a feature in Google Search that uses Gemini to assist in finding information online. When using AI Mode in Google Search, it uses Gemini’s abilities to understand the question, even if it is complex. It then searches the web using “query fan-out” to find relevant information. This process involves breaking the larger question into smaller ones and searching for each simultaneously. The result is a clear, easy-to-understand answer with links to the original sources, creating a more interactive and helpful search experience.”
Essentially, AI Mode brings the conversational follow-up style directly to Google Search, rather than requiring the Gemini app. It’s like Google Gemini, got new fancy shoes that help it run faster and go more places, instead of being limited to the house.
According to the Google Search blog page, “AI Mode uses Gemini 2.5’s advanced reasoning, thinking, and multimodal capabilities to help with even your toughest questions…Ask your question all in one go, with all the details you care about. AI Mode does the heavy lifting, intelligently organizing information with simple breakdowns and helpful links to explore more on the web.”
Now that we know what it is, what more can it do?
Shopping with Google’s AI Mode
The new AI Mode shopping experience brings together Gemini capabilities combined with a Shopping Graph to help you browse for inspiration, think through considerations and narrow down products.
Say you tell AI Mode you’re looking for a cute travel bag. It understands that you’re looking for visual inspiration, so it will show you a beautiful, browsable panel of images and product listings personalized to your tastes.
The Shopping Graph has more than 50 billion product listings, from global retailers to smaller local shops, each with details like reviews, prices, color options and availability, refreshing 2 billion of the products every hour.
Is Google’s AI Mode safe?
Google lists its AI Principles and safety policies that are implemented across its products. It also adds new protections to account for Gemini’s capabilities as technology advances.
A Google Gemini blog shares that at each stage of development, Google considers potential risks and works to test and prevent them.
They also build dedicated safety classifiers to identify and sort out content involving violence or negative stereotypes. Combined with robust filters, this stacked approach is designed to make Gemini safer and more inclusive for everyone. This is all in addition to addressing the known challenges the models may struggle with, like factuality, attribution and corroboration.
They firmly state, “Responsibility and safety will always be central to the development and deployment of our models.”
How can I access Google’s AI Mode?
Google AI Mode has officially launched. You can find it by visiting google.com/aimode or you can access it directly from Google Search by clicking the AI Mode button in the top left, next to “All”.