Google has started rolling out a new feature in the UK called AI Mode, which it describes as its most advanced search experience to date. Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management for Search, announced that the feature uses a custom version of the company’s Gemini 2.5 model to answer more complex and multi-part questions than before.
Unlike traditional searches that may require several separate queries, AI Mode can process detailed questions all at once. For example, users could ask for “things to do in Edinburgh this weekend with friends” and add specific interests such as food, music and relaxed activities. AI Mode then breaks the request into subtopics and searches the web for relevant information in one go.
This method, called query fan-out, sends out many searches at once on the user’s behalf. Google says this allows the system to find information that might be missed by standard searches. Early trials showed that questions asked in AI Mode tend to be two or three times longer than typical search queries.
How Does AI Mode Handle Different Types Of Input?
Google has built AI Mode to be multimodal, meaning people can interact with it in different ways. It accepts typed questions, voice input through a microphone button and even image-based queries using a camera or uploaded picture.
If someone snaps a photo of a plant, for example, they can ask AI Mode to identify it and suggest care tips. This same process works for product comparisons or more abstract questions. According to Google, this makes the search process more natural and flexible for different preferences.
The feature also has something called Deep Search for subscribers in Google AI Labs. This tool uses the Gemini 2.5 Pro model to examine hundreds of websites and produce a fully cited report within minutes. It is designed for situations where users want more extensive research on a topic.
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What Does AI Mode Mean For Discovering Information?
Google says that AI Mode is intended to help people connect with content from across the web, not replace it. Each AI-generated answer includes links so users can visit the original sources. The company says that when AI Overviews are present in search results, people tend to visit more sites, and those visits last longer.
AI Mode also tries to return the most relevant results available. When the system is confident in its findings, it displays an AI-generated response. If not, it falls back to the traditional set of web links. Google says its ranking and quality systems are still at the core of how it works.
Early feedback has helped shape the design, and Google acknowledges that the technology is experimental. The company says it is committed to improving the accuracy of results and will continue to refine how AI Mode responds to complex questions.
Who Can Use AI Mode And When?
The rollout in the UK has already begun, with AI Mode appearing as a new tab on Google Search results pages and in the Google app on Android and iOS. It is also available in the US and India.
Google says the feature is ideal for different needs, from planning trips to comparing products or understanding detailed processes. For more in-depth investigations, users can switch to Deep Search if they have access through Labs.
Although it is being introduced gradually, users in the UK who already see the AI Mode tab can try it immediately. Google encourages people to share their experiences to help improve the system over time.
