Google Rolls Out AI-Powered Search Mode Across India
Google has begun rolling out its new AI Mode in Search to all users in India, a significant change to its core search engine. Initially launched as an opt-in experiment, the feature provides comprehensive, conversational AI-generated answers to queries, supplemented with links to web sources. The AI Mode, which supports text, voice, and image-based searches, will initially be available in English. This move represents a major reimagining of the search experience for millions of Indian users, integrating generative AI directly into search results.
Unpacked:
AI Mode provides conversational, AI-generated answers that synthesize information from multiple sources, rather than just listing links. It supports follow-up questions, handles complex queries, and presents results in a more interactive, easy-to-understand format, including relevant web links for further exploration. This differs from traditional search, which primarily returns a ranked list of web pages based on keywords.
India is a key market due to its large user base, high engagement with voice and visual searches, and rapid adoption of mobile technology. More users in India use Google Lens each month than anywhere else, making it an ideal environment to test and expand multimodal search features.
Google’s AI Mode is powered by the Gemini 2.5 AI model, which enables advanced reasoning, synthesis of information, and support for complex, multi-part queries across text, voice, and images. This model is central to generating comprehensive, conversational answers and handling diverse search inputs.
Potential challenges include ensuring answer quality and accuracy, addressing biases in AI-generated content, managing user privacy, and handling the impact on publishers who rely on traditional search traffic. There may also be concerns about language limitations, as initial rollout is in English, and accessibility across India’s diverse population.