Google launched its experimental AI mode, a Q&A-style search tool, for users in India requiring opt-in via Search Labs for English queries.
The AI mode functions as a question-and-answer style search tool, allowing users to pose complex, multi-part queries. An example query provided is: “My kids are 4 and 7 and have lots of energy. Suggest creative ways to get them active and moving indoors, especially on hot days, without needing a lot of space or expensive toys.” Users can also ask follow-up questions to refine the initial results provided by the system. Google has not specified any timelines for potential support of local languages within this feature.
Google commenced testing of its AI mode with premium subscribers in the United States earlier in 2025. Following the Google IO event, the company initiated a broader rollout of the feature to all users in the United States. Over time, Google incorporated a shopping feature into the AI mode. The company also introduced support for voice and image search functionalities, and advertising content was integrated into the AI mode experience.
Google now talks back with Search Live
For users in India, voice and image search features are supported within the AI mode. This inclusion is based on Google’s observation that voice serves as a popular mode for search queries in the region. The AI mode is powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5. Google has noted that early testers of the AI mode are submitting queries that are two to three times longer than typical search queries.
India represents a significant market for Google, with over 870 million internet users. This market also functions as a testing ground for Google to analyze how multilingual users interact with its various products. Despite Google maintaining a dominant market share in the search sector, there has been an observed increase in the use of chat-based AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, in daily user routines. Google’s introduction of AI mode aims to provide an alternative for users who prefer an interface similar to these conversational AI tools.
Alongside the AI mode, Google has been promoting other AI-driven products in its search offerings, including AI overviews. These overviews summarize search query results for users. In April 2025, Google stated that more than 1.5 billion individuals globally were utilizing AI overviews. Earlier in June 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google’s AI features were negatively affecting publishers, noting that these publishers had experienced declines in traffic originating from organic search.
