In a frantic race for innovation, Google unveils its brand new “AI Mode,” a feature integrated directly into its iconic search engine. Announced on March 5, 2025, on Google’s official blog, this ambitious update marks a decisive step in the evolution of the user experience offered by the American giant.
By enriching its search tool with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, Google aims to answer increasingly complex and nuanced questions, while directly challenging competitors like Deep Research, OpenAI’s powerful AI that explores the web for its users.
AI Mode: An AI built for sophisticated searches
AI Mode relies on a custom version of Gemini 2.0, Google’s latest generation artificial intelligence model. Designed to excel in processing multi-part questions and contextual follow-ups, this system promises detailed answers presented as full pages, far beyond simple traditional snippets.
A new “AI Mode” button appears alongside classic filters (Images, Videos, News, etc.), allowing users to activate this feature with one click. For searches requiring even deeper analysis, a “deep search” option mobilizes Gemini 2.0 in tandem with real-time data from the Knowledge Graph or updated prices from Google Shopping.
Read also: Google AI: how to use it and is it effective?
Speed, quality, and freshness: Google’s watchwords
Google isn’t hiding its priorities: offering fast, accurate, and constantly updated answers. Thanks to improvements in its AI model’s reasoning, the company claims to have optimized the accuracy of results, even when faced with ambiguous or unusual queries. This approach is reminiscent of how Perplexity works, a rival AI known for its ability to provide clear, sourced summaries.
But Google goes further by integrating this technology directly into its search engine, a platform used daily by billions of internet users.
A response to the threat from OpenAI?
With this AI Mode, Google seems determined not to let OpenAI’s Deep Research dominate the AI-powered search tool market. While the latter appeals with its ability to browse the web and compile exhaustive answers—a function that will certainly be integrated into ChatGPT—Google is counter-attacking by expanding its AI-generated answer overviews, already deployed in the US, and making them more accessible.
For now, “AI Mode” remains exclusive to certain US subscribers of the Google One AI Premium service, but its gradual rollout could change the game in the AI wars.
A balance between innovation and reliability
Aware of the potential limits of artificial intelligence, Google has provided a safety net: if AI Mode lacks confidence in the quality of its answer, traditional web results take over.
This hybridization between classic search and advanced AI illustrates the company’s desire to marry innovation and reliability, a major challenge in a field where competition is fierce.
Read more on this topic: OpenAI presents “Deep Research” with their partner SoftBank
Toward a new era of online search?
With “AI Mode,” Google isn’t just following the trend: it’s redefining user expectations for a search engine. By combining the power of Gemini 2.0, real-time data, and an intuitive interface, the Mountain View giant could well regain the advantage in a technological battle where every advancement counts.
It remains to be seen whether this new feature will win over the general public, stand up to Deep Research, and improve the search engine we currently know.
