Google has unveiled one of the biggest changes to its Search engine in years, adding AI agents and redesigning the search experience to handle longer, conversational queries instead of simple keywords.
The announcement came at Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference, where executives positioned the update as the next phase of Search powered by its Gemini AI models.
The redesigned search box now expands dynamically and encourages users to ask detailed questions in natural language. Google said the interface will support more complex prompts, including queries involving text, images, videos, and uploaded files.
The move signals a major shift away from the traditional ‘10 blue links’ model that has defined Search for decades.
Google’s AI agents help users accomplish tasks and keep tabs on information. They will be able to follow up on subjects, make updates, and even use applications such as Gmail and Chrome to complete tasks.
Users will be able to ask the Search to compare products, check on the prices, summarize documents, and schedule appointments, among other things. It is also capable of personalizing answers based on the context from earlier conversations.
It was said to be one of the components of the company’s idea of ‘agentic AI’, in which AI does more than just answer queries; it acts as an assistant.
However, the AI Mode is now much closer to being an integral part of the Search experience than a completely separate chatbot-like feature. Users can ask additional questions without starting a new search each time, similar to how they interact with AI assistants such as ChatGPT. The company has also emphasized that the Search would better understand the context and intent of queries, especially when multiple queries were involved.
During the keynote, Google demonstrated searches for more complex travel planning, price comparisons while shopping, and other research-related activities.
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With the redesign, it is clear that Google is facing increasing pressure as AI search engines are completely changing how consumers access information.
Competitors such as OpenAI and Microsoft have already brought AI into mainstream consumer behavior, and thus, Google needs to figure out the future of Search.
It appears that with its latest redesign, Google is banking on consumers wanting Search to do the work for them, not direct them to specific websites.