Google Adds AI Mode to Search, Rolling Out to U.S. Users

Google is rolling out a new “AI Mode” in Search, giving U.S. users access to a chat-style interface that answers queries using generative AI. The feature, announced today, will first appear for a small percentage of users in the U.S. over the coming weeks, allowing users to test the new feature before it rolls out more broadly.

This marks the first public release of AI Mode outside of Google Labs, where it was previously in testing. Unlike Google’s standard results or even its existing AI Overviews, AI Mode provides a full response generated by Google’s language models—based on real-time access to the Google Search index.

What Makes AI Mode Different?

While AI Overviews embed a short AI summary above traditional links, AI Mode replaces the entire results page with a conversational response. It’s a direct challenge to AI-first search engines like Perplexity and OpenAI’s ChatGPT with web browsing, which are gaining traction for their ability to provide concise, current answers instead of a page full of links.

In the updated interface:

• AI Mode appears as its own tab, placed left of “All,” “Images,” and “Videos,” tabs giving it priority placement in the search experience.

• Past searches are saved in a sidebar, making it easier to pick up conversations or ask follow-ups without starting over.

• Visual clickable cards for products and places include real-time data like hours, reviews, ratings, shipping details, real-time pricing and inventory—making AI Mode more useful for shopping and local discovery.

No More Waitlist for Labs Users

Google is also removing the waitlist for U.S.-based users previously enrolled in Labs, allowing more people to test AI Mode before it becomes more broadly available. These updates signal Google’s intent to accelerate AI’s integration into core search—and reclaim ground in the growing competition with more agile AI-native platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT Search.

What This Means

Google’s rollout of AI Mode signals a pivotal shift in the future of search—one that favors direct answers and conversational engagement over traditional link lists. By elevating AI Mode to its own tab and enriching results with real-time product data, visual cards, and persistent search history, Google is redefining how users interact with information.

This isn’t just a UI update—it’s a structural evolution that positions Google to compete directly with AI-native search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT, which are gaining ground by offering faster, more digestible answers. For Google, AI Mode also serves as a bridge between its legacy index-driven model and the growing user demand for personalized, assistant-style search experiences.

For content creators and publishers, this raises new challenges around visibility, as AI-generated responses may reduce direct traffic to websites. For consumers, it opens up faster, more intuitive access to insights, products, and services—all within the familiar Google environment. The implications are clear: the battle for the future of search won’t be about who has the most links—it will be about who has the smartest, most helpful response.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.