Google is enhancing its AI-powered Search experience with Gemini 2.0, bringing improved responses for complex queries and introducing AI Mode, a new experimental feature designed to provide deeper reasoning and exploration. These updates aim to make information discovery more intuitive and efficient.

AI Overviews Get a Gemini 2.0 Upgrade

AI Overviews, one of Google’s most widely used Search features with over a billion users, is getting a major upgrade. With Gemini 2.0, AI Overviews now deliver faster, higher-quality responses, especially for challenging queries in areas like:

1. Coding
2. Advanced math
3. Multimodal searches (combining text, images, and other formats)

Additionally, Sign-in is no longer required, making AI-powered search results more accessible to everyone. By increasing the frequency and quality of AI-generated responses, Google aims to make complex searches more seamless.

Introducing AI Mode: A More Advanced AI Search Experience

To meet the growing demand for deeper AI-powered search capabilities, Google is launching AI Mode, an experimental feature available through Google Labs. AI Mode enhances AI Overviews with more advanced reasoning and multimodal understanding, allowing users to:

1. Explore complex topics without needing multiple searches.
2. Compare and analyze detailed options in a single query.
3. Ask follow-up questions and receive AI-powered responses with relevant web links for further exploration.

Built right inside Search and powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.0, AI Mode provides high quality web content and it can also tap into fresh, real-time sources like the Knowledge Graph, info about the real world, and shopping data for billions of products.

This combination enhances the depth and breadth of search results, making AI Mode a step beyond traditional searches.

How AI Mode Works

AI Mode employs a “query fan-out” technique, which means it:

1. Breaks down complex queries into multiple sub-searches.

2. Conducts concurrent searches across different data sources.

3. Synthesizes the results into a clear, easy-to-understand response.

Testing and Future Improvements

AI Mode is currently in a limited, opt-in testing phase in Google Labs, with Google One AI Premium subscribers getting early access. Feedback from internal testers has already highlighted its:

1. Speed in retrieving and synthesizing information.
2. Quality of responses.
3. Freshness of real-time data integration.

However, as an early-stage AI feature, Google acknowledges potential challenges, such as:

1. Responses that may unintentionally reflect a persona or opinion instead of remaining purely objective.
2. The need for improved formatting, including more visual responses with images and videos.
3. Ensuring AI-powered answers consistently link to high-quality web content.

To address these, Google is actively refining AI Mode with updates based on user feedback.