# Google’s AI-Powered Search is Ready for Its Close-Up: AI Mode Launches Public Testing

## Google’s AI-Powered Search is Ready for Its Close-Up: AI Mode Launches Public Testing

Google is taking its AI-powered search capabilities out of the experimental lab and into the hands of a select group of users. The company announced today that it will be rolling out an “AI Mode” tab within Google Search for a small percentage of users in the US in the coming weeks. This marks the first public test of the search-centric chatbot outside of Google’s Labs environment, signaling a significant step towards a more conversational and AI-driven search experience.

Unlike traditional search engines that primarily present a list of URL results, Google’s AI Mode aims to answer questions directly with AI-generated responses drawn from the vast expanse of Google’s search index. This differs from the existing “AI Overviews” feature, which currently sandwiches a summarized AI response between the search bar and traditional web results.

AI Mode will reside in its own dedicated tab, positioned prominently to the left of the familiar “All,” “Images,” “Videos,” and “Shopping” tabs. This placement underscores Google’s commitment to AI as a core component of its search functionality. The move is a direct response to the growing popularity of large language model-based search engines like Perplexity and OpenAI’s ChatGPT search features. These AI-powered search tools excel at accessing real-time data and navigating the web, providing more relevant and up-to-date answers compared to general-purpose chatbots like Gemini.

Further opening the doors to AI-powered search, Google is also removing the waitlist for US Labs users interested in testing AI Mode. This will allow more people to experience the feature before its wider release, gathering valuable feedback and insights along the way.

The AI Mode itself has undergone recent updates, adding useful features to enhance the user experience. Notably, a new left-side panel will save past searches, allowing users to easily revisit previous topics and ask follow-up questions without needing to start a new conversation. Additionally, visual and interactive cards for products and places are now integrated into AI Mode, providing key information such as opening hours, reviews, and ratings for businesses, as well as images, inventory details, shipping information, and real-time pricing for products. This integration aims to provide a richer and more actionable search experience, seamlessly blending information discovery with real-world application.

With this public test and continued development, Google is poised to redefine the future of search, moving towards a more intelligent, conversational, and ultimately, more helpful experience for users worldwide.