In the wake of growing competition from other leading AI giants, Google has started testing a new feature that merges its AI overviews with AI mode in search.
New Google feature merges AI overviews with AI mode
This integration of AI mode into AI overviews would allow users to access AI-generated snapshots of key information on top of their search results and then ask follow-up questions in a conversational interface.
AI Mode launched for US and global users in May and August, respectively, enabling ChatGPT-like interactions with Google’s Gemini AI; However, until now, users had to choose between traditional search queries or engage in a deeper conversation by switching to the AI Mode tab, depending on their type of query.
By combining its two search engine-oriented AI offerings, Google aims to streamline this process by allowing users to “seamlessly drill down” into AI mode directly from the search results page.
Describing Google’s goal of making searching for information more intuitive and accessible, Robby Stein, vice president of Product for Google Search, said, “You shouldn’t have to think about where or how to ask your question.”
Announced earlier this week during the testing phase, this new tool is currently available only on mobile devices.
The merger of AI Mode and AI Overviews comes on the heels of OpenAI focusing on improving its chatbot experience, while delaying the launch of other products.
As Gemini has attracted more than 650 million monthly users, following recent updates, particularly to the Nano Banana imaging model, merging AI mode with AI Overviews could further expand Gemini’s user base.
