Google has introduced a new artificial intelligence-powered feature called AI Mode to its Search platform in the UK, marking a significant departure from traditional online search experiences. The rollout, starting July 29, brings AI Mode as a new tab on Google Search results pages and within the Google app for both Android and Apple smartphones. All UK users are expected to have access to the tool within days, as Google seeks to revolutionise how people interact with search engines.
AI Mode enhances the standard search by letting users pose lengthy, complex queries and carry out follow-ups in a conversational, chat-like interface. Behind this technology is Google’s Gemini 2.5 model, which interprets nuanced and multi-part questions, eliminating the need for multiple successive searches. The system works by decomposing broad queries into multiple sub-topics, running a series of background searches, and delivering responses that synthesise wider information. Multimodal search is another key aspect, meaning users can interact using text, voice, or even images to initiate searches.
According to Hema Budaraju, Google’s vice president of product management for search, AI Mode represents a major shift in how people use search engines, with queries growing notably longer and more complicated. Budaraju highlights the tool’s usefulness for exploratory inquiries and complex tasks—such as product comparisons, trip planning, or mastering intricate instructions—where users previously needed to conduct several different searches. Whereas Google’s existing AI Overviews feature offers AI-generated summaries above results, AI Mode transforms the interaction into a more conversational experience, replacing the standard results page with a deeper breakdown of questions and related topics. Early data shows users formulating queries two to three times longer than traditional searches, which underscores a changing dynamic in the search landscape.
Initially launched in the US and India earlier this year, AI Mode arrives in Britain aiming to deliver richer, more intuitive answers and help users satisfy their curiosity in more adaptive ways. The addition is seen as an evolution, not a replacement, of Google’s existing AI features, with a focus on supporting the increasing complexity of user demands in digital search.
