Google has announced a major update to its search functionality, incorporating AI mode. AI mode initially launched as a feature that provided consistent paragraph summaries and links for text-based queries. However, this update significantly expands its functionality, supporting a wider range of input formats, including images, PDFs, and even live video. Specifically, complex image-related queries are now possible even on desktop, and PDF upload functionality will be available in the coming weeks. Users will now be able to query longer texts, such as academic papers, lecture slides, and legal documents, and receive more in-depth, AI-driven answers.
AI doesn't just analyze documents; it cross-analyzes information from across the web to provide summaries and links to sources, and in the future, it plans to support files in Google Drive.
One of the key features of this update is "Canvas," a feature that helps you organize information and structure projects across multiple sessions. For example, when planning a test study plan or organizing a travel itinerary, users can click the "Create Canvas" button to launch a side panel that gathers relevant information. AI continuously refines the content based on user requests, and integration with file uploads will soon be available, allowing you to refine your plans based on course materials or assignment files.
The "Search Live" feature combines Google Lens and AI mode for real-time visual search. Users use their camera to show a live scene and ask questions, and the AI recognizes the scene and continues the conversation. Users can show a scientific experiment and ask for suggestions for improvement, or take a picture of a specific object and request information. This feature is currently being rolled out in the US to mobile users who have signed up for the AI mode experiment.
The search experience in Chrome has also been improved. Clicking "Ask Google about this page" in the address bar allows you to instantly ask questions about the website, PDF, or image you're currently viewing. AI mode analyzes the visual elements on the screen and provides an AI overview and summary information in a side panel. This allows users to ask follow-up questions to explore the content further.
While AI-driven search improves the user experience, it can also pose a threat to information providers and advertisers. It has been linked to lower click-through rates and the potential for disruption to traditional search ranking-based advertising models. Some media outlets have even claimed significant traffic declines since the introduction of AI-powered search.
Google explains this change as an evolution of search, offering a new way for people to ask questions and explore information more naturally. AI Mode is currently available in the US and India, with expansion to the UK and other countries coming soon.
