Google has officially launched AI Mode in India today as an experimental feature accessible through Google Labs in English. This follows its initial debut as a U.S. experiment earlier in 2025 and its wider rollout outside Labs during Google I/O 2025.
What is AI Mode?
AI Mode enhances Google Search by combining powerful AI capabilities based on a customized Gemini 2.5 model. It enables users to ask longer, more complex, and nuanced questions in a single query—questions that previously would have required multiple searches.
The system breaks down these questions into subtopics using a query fan-out technique, simultaneously searching multiple web sources. This approach delivers highly relevant content, including links to fresh, real-time data from Google’s Knowledge Graph and shopping databases.
Early users have submitted queries that are 2 to 3 times longer than typical searches, particularly for tasks such as product comparisons, trip planning, or detailed how-to instructions.
Multimodal Interaction: Voice, Text, and Images
Hema Budaraju explains that, with India at the forefront of Google Lens use, AI Mode supports voice, text, and image inputs, allowing users to interact through:
- Voice: Tap the microphone icon to speak complex questions naturally, which is especially convenient when on the move.
- Text: Type detailed queries in the usual search bar.
- Images: Upload or snap photos via the Google app. For example, snapping a picture of a plant and asking for identification and care instructions will prompt AI Mode to analyze the image and provide detailed, step-by-step guidance with relevant links.
How AI Mode Expands Google’s AI Search Features
Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management at Google Search, noted that AI Mode reflects the company’s commitment to making information more accessible and easier to explore.
AI Overviews, an existing feature powered by Google AI, currently serves over 1.5 billion users monthly and has increased search engagement by over 10% in markets including India and the U.S.
AI Mode builds on these advancements by adding deeper reasoning and multimodal capabilities, allowing users to get more comprehensive and precise answers.
Commitment to Quality and Transparency
Hema Budaraju shared that AI Mode is backed by Google’s ranking models for accurate output. When unsure, it switches to standard search results. She stressed it’s still experimental and will improve with ongoing input from users.
Availability
From today, users in India can try AI Mode in English by joining Google Labs via the Google Search app on Android and iOS.