New AI mode reimagines search with enhanced reasoning and multi-modality
At its annual developer conference, Google announced a groundbreaking AI-powered search mode, available now in the U.S., that offers users more nuanced, detailed, and interactive search experiences.
CEO Sundar Pichai described the new feature as the culmination of “decades of research,” highlighting its ability to handle longer, complex queries and support follow-up questions—moving well beyond last year’s AI Overviews, which provide summaries above traditional results.
Liz Reid, head of Google Search, emphasized that the AI searches “across the entire web” for deeper insights, enhancing user engagement.
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Since launching AI Overviews, Google Search has attracted over 1.5 billion users globally, making it the largest generative AI product worldwide.
The move comes amid growing competition from AI rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which also integrates web search. However, this shift raises concerns over declining ad revenue and reduced web traffic for publishers as AI-generated answers limit clicks to original sites.
Further challenges include a recent drop in Google search traffic on Apple devices, noted by Apple executive Eddy Cue, amid rising competition from AI-based alternatives.
At Google I/O, additional AI innovations were unveiled, including real-time speech translation, virtual try-ons, and AI shopping assistants. Google also announced a new “Ultra” subscription plan at $250/month, offering premium AI tools such as autonomous online task agents within Chrome and the Gemini AI app.
