Google is rolling out updates to Search that expand its conversational AI capabilities, including making Gemini 3 the default model for AI Overviews and allowing users to move directly from an AI Overview into a continuous conversation using AI Mode. The changes are designed to support longer, more complex questions and enable natural follow-up without restarting a search.

According to Google, the updates aim to reduce friction between traditional search results and conversational AI, giving users a single, fluid experience that supports both quick answers and deeper exploration.

Google says its long-term vision for Search is to make information effortless to explore, access, and understand. While many searches are simple—such as checking the weather or a sports score—the company notes that users increasingly turn to Search for more complex tasks that require context, comparison, or deeper exploration.

To support those use cases, Google is positioning Search as a flexible experience that can shift smoothly between quick snapshots and conversational depth, depending on what the user needs in the moment.

As part of the update, Gemini 3 is now the default AI model behind AI Overviews worldwide. Google says this change is intended to deliver higher-quality AI responses directly on the search results page, particularly for questions where synthesized explanations are helpful.

AI Overviews appear at the top of Search results, providing summaries and context alongside links to additional sources. By upgrading the underlying model, Google aims to improve clarity, relevance, and usefulness without requiring users to leave the Search experience.

A second major update focuses on continuity. Rather than restarting a query or opening a separate interface, users can now ask follow-up questions directly from an AI Overview and continue the interaction as a conversational back-and-forth in AI Mode, while keeping the context from the original query.

Google says internal testing shows users prefer a more natural flow from quick answers into conversation, especially when exploring complex topics. By preserving context from AI Overviews and supporting follow-up questions, Search becomes more helpful by reducing the need to repeat queries, rephrase questions, or restart research.

The result is a single, connected experience: a quick overview when needed, followed by deeper back-and-forth conversation as questions evolve.

Google says the updated Search experience is designed to feel like one continuous flow instead of a series of separate steps. AI Overviews provide a snapshot, while AI Mode enables extended conversation—all within the same environment.

Prominent links continue to appear alongside AI-generated responses, allowing users to explore original sources while engaging with AI Overviews and AI Mode. The result is a search experience that blends traditional results with conversational AI in a single flow.

Google says users can now jump into AI Mode conversations directly from AI Overviews on mobile, with the feature rolling out globally. The updates apply to Search wherever AI Overviews are available.

Q: What is changing in Google Search?
A: Google is making Search more conversational by upgrading AI Overviews with Gemini 3 and allowing users to ask follow-up questions directly from those overviews.

Q: What role does Gemini 3 play?
A: Gemini 3 is now the default AI model powering AI Overviews, providing higher-quality AI responses directly on the search results page.

Q: What is AI Mode?
A: AI Mode is Google’s conversational search experience, enabling back-and-forth dialogue while preserving context from earlier queries.

Q: Can users still access traditional links?
A: Yes. Google says the experience maintains prominent links, allowing users to continue exploring the web alongside AI-generated responses.

Q: Where is this available?
A: The ability to enter AI Mode from AI Overviews is rolling out globally on mobile.

Google’s decision to make Gemini 3 the default model for AI Overviews reflects a deeper change in what Search is designed to do. This is no longer just about retrieving links or scanning results—it’s about helping users think through questions in real time, directly inside Search.

For users, this lowers the friction between curiosity and understanding. Complex questions no longer require multiple searches, reformulations, or tab-hopping. Instead, context carries forward, allowing Search to function more like an ongoing dialogue than a series of disconnected queries.

For publishers and content creators, this change raises the stakes. As AI Overviews become the default entry point, visibility increasingly depends on whether content can support AI-generated explanations while still offering depth users want to explore. Google’s emphasis on prominent links suggests traditional web traffic still matters—but the path to those links is changing.

At a strategic level, Google is treating conversational AI as a core part of Search rather than an add-on. By embedding Gemini 3 directly into the results page and tightly coupling it with AI Mode, Google is competing not only with other search engines, but with standalone AI answer engines as well.

This moves Search from information retrieval toward real-time reasoning—and reshapes what users expect every time they open a search bar.

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.