Google has officially launched its most advanced AI-powered search experience, ‘AI Mode‘, in India. Previously available only in the US, this launch marks the first international rollout of the AI-powered tool. It allows users to ask complicated questions and get detailed, AI-generated answers using Google’s Gemini 2.5 technology. The feature is now available in Search Labs on the Google app for Android and iOS, as well as on desktop. It currently supports English, with support for more Indian languages expected in future updates.
Primarily, the AI Mode is designed to handle more detailed and complex questions that would previously have required multiple searches. Instead of simply returning a list of links, it uses advanced reasoning to understand the user’s query and deliver a comprehensive response, often with helpful summaries, follow-up options, and links to explore more.
AI Mode uses a method Google calls query fan-out. This means that when users ask a question, the system breaks it into smaller parts and sends multiple searches across the web at the same time. It then collects and combines this information to deliver a single, high-quality response that is relevant to the full query.
The tech titan combines this AI tool with its existing systems, like the Knowledge Graph, real-time shopping data, and web indexing. As per Google, this allows AI Mode to not only deliver strong AI responses but also include the latest and accurate information from trusted sources across the internet.
The AI Mode also supports multimodal input, meaning users can interact using text, voice, or images. For example, with AI Mode, users can tap the microphone icon to speak long, detailed questions. These are especially useful in India, where voice and visual search are already widely used. According to the tech giant itself, India leads the world in Google Lens usage, with more people using the feature here than in any other country.
While the Sundar Pichai-led company is excited about AI Mode’s capabilities, it still sees it as an experiment. According to the search giant, the responses are supported by its quality and ranking systems, and if the AI is not confident in the answer, users will see regular search results instead.
The latest move is significant, considering India is expected to have over 900 million internet users by 2025. Meanwhile, the company claims that AI Mode builds on the success of AI Overviews, serving over 1.5 billion users each month. However, the AI Overview feature has faced its own controversies. In 2024, Google temporarily suspended it after it provided inaccurate answers, like suggesting users put glue on pizza to keep the cheese in place. Many well-known publishers have also alleged that the feature is reducing organic search traffic to their websites.
Notably, Google’s AI journey has not been without challenges. In 2024, the company paused its Gemini AI model from answering political questions after it faced backlash for generating responses perceived as critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Recently, the company also temporarily halted the rollout of its AI-powered ‘Ask Photos’ feature within the Google Photos app due to latency and quality concerns.
