Googling your late-night questions is going to become more advanced than just typing a few keywords, according to a new Google announcement.
Google said at its recent developer’s conference that it was overhauling its signature search tool with an “intelligent search box,” an update that was rolled out globally on Tuesday.
Traditionally, you type a question or topic into Google’s search bar, and a simple list of relevant links appear. But now, that slim search bar can expand into a long, continuous conversation powered by Google’s AI model Gemini 3.5 Flash — if you select “AI Mode,” a Google feature that debuted last year.
AI Mode is now a prominently displayed search feature that appears next to the magnifying glass icon when you start a Google search. You can also upload photographs and videos as part of your AI Mode query.
When I uploaded a vacation photo, for example, AI Mode immediately told me it came from Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. It was correct.
picture alliance via Getty Images
This new search update expands Google’s AI capabilities. In 2024, Google introduced its “AI Overview” summaries that appear at the top of its results, though people can circumvent this feature. But whether you love or hate them, the new Google search features will help make AI-generated answers even more prominent and interactive.
In one demo featured in Google’s blog post, a user asks the Google search engine: “What exercises help with posture? I sit a lot during the day.” AI Mode answers, then offers a long, bulleted list of exercises that target mobility and strength with website citations. It also allows the user to ask follow-up questions within Google, like, “How frequently should I do these?” Links related to this topic appeared in a small box on the right-hand side, while the AI Overview takes up much of the screen.
A Google spokesperson told HuffPost that users will continue to see blue links on the search results page in addition to AI responses, and said that AI Mode doesn’t happen automatically.
Illustration: HuffPost; Photos: Google
When I tried this new feature, I could still opt out of AI Mode in Google if I hit my “return” key after making my query instead of selecting “AI mode.” I could also toggle to the “Web” option in the menu bar over “AI Mode” for a more traditional search experience with the usual list of results.
If you choose to go all in on AI Mode while searching for answers on Google, know that it’s not always right. A Google AI-generated answer infamously once advised people to add glue to a pizza recipe and eat one rock per day. When I asked questions in the search engine’s AI Mode, the model did include a disclaimer that “AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses.”
That said, many people don’t fact-check responses outside of Google. A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that when people see an AI Overview summary, they are half as likely to click on a result. Only 1% of Google users reported clicking on a link within an AI summary in the Pew Research Center survey of 900 adults. News publishers say Google’s AI Overview has cratered traffic back to their websites in recent years.
Beyond finding answers, people can also use the search engine to do more sophisticated Google Alert research. Now, using what Google calls “agents,” you can tell Google to monitor any announcements on your favorite musician with a query like: “Keep me updated when any of my favorite singers announce collabs,” and then get notification alerts on this topic. The tech giant said that this feature will roll out first to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers later this summer.
All these search updates make it easier than ever for people to stay within Google for all of their hopes and anxieties, which benefits Google. The company said that 1 billion monthly users were using its AI mode. Whether this future alarms or excites you depends on how much you trust an AI-generated Google search result.
