Google has begun rolling out a new artificial intelligence-powered feature, AI Mode, across the UK, marking what it describes as its most advanced search technology to date. The tool, designed to revolutionise how users interact with Google Search, will allow people to ask longer, more complex queries and follow-up questions, offering more in-depth and tailored results. Already introduced in the United States and India, AI Mode will be gradually made available to all UK users from Tuesday, both on desktop and via the Google app for Android and iOS devices.
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According to Hema Budaraju, vice president of product management for search at Google, the feature represents a “major shift” in how people engage with search engines. She noted that early adopters are asking questions two to three times the length of standard queries, particularly when dealing with exploratory topics or more intricate tasks such as product comparisons, travel planning, or understanding detailed instructions.
AI Mode is powered by Google’s latest large language model, Gemini 2.5, and is capable of handling multimodal input—meaning users can search by text, voice or images. The technology works by breaking down questions into sub-topics, generating a broader scope of results that aim to address each aspect of the query. This approach allows for more nuanced and informative responses that, in theory, reduce the need for multiple separate searches.
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While Google emphasised its commitment to improving the accuracy of AI-generated answers, the company acknowledged that the feature remains in an early phase. When confidence in a response is low, AI Mode will default to presenting conventional web search results. “As with any early-stage AI product, we won’t always get it right,” Ms Budaraju said, “but we are committed to continuous improvement.”
