Google Starts Testing New Search ‘AI Mode’ Internally – Here’s An Early Look At It

As previously spotted, Google Search is working on a new “AI Mode” that offers a “persistent place” to ask more “open-ended / exploratory questions” and get generated AI Overview-style responses. Powered by Gemini 2.0, Google has begun testing this experience with employees.

9to5Google today saw an internal email that invites Google employees to dogfood (test) this “AI Mode.” Google describes the new experience as “Search intelligently research[ing] for you – organizing information into easy-to-digest breakdowns with links to explore content across the web.”

AI Mode is aimed at open-ended and exploratory questions that are “not well served by” today’s Search results. This includes queries that ask Search for advice and comparisons, as well as exchanges that allow for follow-up questions.

Google gave employees some example queries that AI Mode is aimed at:

• “How many boxes of spaghetti should I buy to feed 6 adults and 10 children, and have enough for seconds?”
• “Compare wool, down, and synthetic jackets in terms of insulation, water resistance, and durability”
• “What do I need to get started with aquascaping?”
  • Follow-up: “What are some nearby stores to buy supplies?”

AI Mode is powered by a “custom version” of Gemini 2.0 that allows for “advanced reasoning and thinking capabilities.” The user interface is not final, but there’s a screenshot of the “early release” desktop experience available to Googlers today. It also works on mobile.

Like before, you type in a query and press search. What’s new is an “AI Mode” option that appears alongside the existing filters for Images, News, Shopping, etc.

This takes you to a chatbot-like interface that’s somewhat similar to Gemini. What you searched is noted first with the answer appearing below in a fullscreen UI that’s a bit more vast than today’s AI Overviews. It lacks the traditional 10 blue links underneath, but links to “dig deeper on the web” currently appear as a card on the right. This UI is similar to the AI Overviews approach introduced last year, and meant to get a richer design in future versions of AI Mode.

There’s a text field at the bottom of the answer to “Ask a follow up…” question, with the Google app on Android and iOS also offering voice input. 

Google Search’s new AI Mode is currently being tested with US Googlers. It might launch this year as CEO Sundar Pichai said yesterday that “2025 is going to be one of the biggest years for Search innovation yet.”

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