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Google AI Search delivers smart, summarised answers using Gemini AI with follow-up prompts, voice, and image input support.
It's enabled by default in India, and can be activated via Search Labs in other regions where rollout is still expanding.
AI Mode can’t be fully disabled yet, but users can avoid it with Incognito Mode or by using simpler queries.
Google is revolutionizing online searching. With the launch of its AI Mode in Search, now available to all Indian users, the technology giant is guiding users away from traditional blue links and toward AI-sourced answers. This marks a shift in the discovery, consumption, and trust of information.
Let’s take a look at what AI search brings, how it works, and the most important implications for users, publishers, and the future of digital content.
Google AI Mode is an innovative search experience based on the Gemini family of AI models. Rather than returning normal search results, it serves up a summary produced by AI. Follow-up questions and links to the source pages are provided to accompany this summary.
The technology deploys a process called ‘query fan-out.’ Several searches are executed in the background simultaneously. These are then combined into a single synthesized response optimized for user intent.
The interface is capable of text, voice, and even image input. Users can scan a product or document with their phone and ask questions, making Google Search an in-the-moment, multimodal assistant.
Also Read: Is Google Pixel Software Better Than One UI?
This new way offers a more conversational and natural experience. Users do not need to rephrase follow-up questions, and the AI retains context. A basic search can develop into something completely different within the same chain.
For India’s mobile-first users, this change is meaningful. It reduces the need to open multiple tabs or websites. Answers are quicker, more contextual, and even more often rendered in bullet points or easy-to-understand language.
This implies that users rely more on Google’s AI conclusions rather than comparing sources independently. The outcome is quicker access to information, but perhaps less discovery.
AI Mode might simplify matters for users, but for digital publishers, content creators, and SEO businesses, things are more complicated. When Google presents AI-based answers prominently at the top of the page, few users click through to the source.
Zero-click search diminishes site traffic, decreases ad revenues, and makes it harder to discover content, especially for independent or niche publishers. Google does offer links to sources in the AI summary, but they tend to be relegated to the bottom of the primary response. This means that content creators are feeding into the pool of data but aren’t profiting from it.
AI Mode is not perfect. Similar to any generative AI tool, it is capable of creating hallucinations and providing false information. In sensitive topics such as health, finances, and the law, this poses a genuine danger.
Google does provide source citations and invites users to check answers. The nature of verification that AI search promotes means not everyone clicks through to check the facts. This occurs when the summary looks authoritative and believable.
There are also continuing privacy concerns. AI Mode invites users to pose more contextual and personal questions. Transparency about how data is stored and encrypted becomes increasingly important.
Also Read: Trade-Off Between Convenience and Security: Google DeepMind's AI Tool Raises Questions
Google's AI Mode represents more than just an enhancement; it signals the beginning of a new era for conversational and AI-driven search. Indian users, who primarily access the internet through mobile devices, gain advantages in speed, convenience, and depth with this Google AI search mode.
This shift changes the way AI search operates. Users are no longer just discovering content; they are now relying on AI to interpret that content on their behalf.
This development alters the economic landscape for content delivery among publishers. For society, it introduces a new gatekeeper to the internet's pool of knowledge. Once this system is implemented, it will be evident that users will no longer conduct searches on their own; instead, their inquiries will be guided by AI.
1. How to use AI Mode on Google Search?
Just perform a search on Google. If AI Mode is available in your region, an AI-generated summary appears at the top with follow-up questions and sources.
2. How can I get Google AI Search?
AI Search is available by default in India. Elsewhere, enable it via Search Labs on Chrome or the Google app. No sign-up needed where fully rolled out.
3. Can you turn off AI on Google Search?
Not officially. Google doesn't offer a direct toggle. However, switching to Incognito Mode or using alternative search engines avoids AI summaries in most cases.
4. How is AI used in Google Search?
Google uses AI to analyse queries, generate summarised overviews, understand user intent, and provide conversational follow-ups, using its Gemini model to fetch deeper, relevant context from across the web.
5. Does Google AI Mode work in Indian languages?
Yes, AI Mode supports several Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali. Users can type or speak queries and receive AI-generated answers in the selected language.
