In a significant step toward redefining search, Google has announced the expansion of its AI Mode feature—previously available only to Google One AI Premium subscribers—to a broader group of Labs users in the U.S. This decision follows overwhelmingly positive feedback from early adopters and marks a major milestone in Google’s AI-driven search evolution.
Multimodal Search: The Next Chapter in Google Search
Alongside the expansion, Google has introduced a major update to AI Mode: multimodal search capabilities powered by Google Lens and a custom version of Gemini, Google’s advanced AI model. This enhancement enables users to take or upload an image, ask a related question, and receive rich, context-aware responses that include helpful links for deeper exploration.
Unlike traditional visual search, this feature goes beyond simply identifying objects. AI Mode now understands image context holistically—analyzing relationships between items, textures, colors, shapes, and spatial layout. For instance, if a user uploads a picture of a bookshelf, AI Mode not only recognizes each book but also curates recommendations based on the titles, complete with shopping links and detailed insights.
Powered by Google Lens and “Query Fan-Out” Technique
At the core of this enhanced search experience is Google Lens, which identifies objects within the image, and a unique search technique called “query fan-out.” This method allows the AI to generate and execute multiple relevant queries in parallel to retrieve deeper, more comprehensive results.
What Makes AI Mode Stand Out?
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Deeper Contextual Understanding: Goes beyond basic visual recognition to understand the why and how of what’s in the image.
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Interactive Experience: Users can ask follow-up questions to refine results in real time.
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Intelligent Curation: Suggests relevant products, resources, or guides tailored to the user’s query.
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Enhanced Usability: Clean interface, fast response time, and support for complex, open-ended queries.
Real-World Applications
AI Mode has already proven useful in a variety of scenarios:
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Product comparisons based on visual inputs.
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How-to guides generated from photos of tools or devices.
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Travel planning by analyzing images of destinations or accommodations.
