Google Expands AI Mode Access and Introduces Multimodal Search with Enhanced Visual Understanding
Google has announced the broader rollout of its AI Mode feature, which was previously available exclusively to Google One AI Premium subscribers. The feature is now being extended to a wider group of Labs users in the United States, following positive early feedback. As part of this expansion, Google is also introducing a major enhancement: multimodal search capabilities powered by Google Lens and a customized version of its Gemini AI model.
This new functionality enables users to upload or capture an image, pose a related query, and receive comprehensive, context-aware responses. The system not only interprets visual elements within the image—such as textures, colors, objects, and spatial layout—but also uses a process called “query fan-out” to conduct multiple searches simultaneously, delivering more insightful and relevant results.
Unlike traditional visual search, the updated AI Mode leverages contextual analysis to better understand the relationships between objects in an image. For example, in a demonstration shared by Google, the system accurately identified books on a shelf and generated tailored queries to recommend similar high-rated titles, complete with links for further reading and purchase. Users can also engage in follow-up questions to refine their search results further.
Originally launched on March 25 for a limited audience, AI Mode has since received strong user feedback for its clean interface, rapid response time, and capacity to manage complex, open-ended queries. Google reports that users interacting with AI Mode tend to ask questions that are twice as long as those in traditional Search, often using the tool for tasks like in-depth product comparisons, travel planning, and instructional guidance.
This development represents a significant step in Google’s effort to make search more intuitive and interactive, positioning AI Mode as a powerful tool for exploring and understanding both visual and textual content.
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