Now, AI Overviews are available to a wider audience, including teenagers, with no login required.
Google has introduced a groundbreaking feature called AI Mode within Google Search Labs, elevating the search experience beyond AI Overviews. This innovative mode brings a more immersive AI-powered interface designed to offer advanced reasoning, deeper insights, and multimodal capabilities, Google announced.

Additionally, AI Overviews have received a significant upgrade with the rollout of Gemini 2.0, enhancing their performance. A major change accompanying this update is the expansion of AI Overviews to teenagers, who can now access these AI-powered responses without needing to log in.

What is AI Mode?

AI Mode is a newly added tab in Google Search, currently available only to select users participating in the Search Labs experiment. This feature is particularly useful for queries that require in-depth exploration, comparison, or analytical reasoning. It eliminates the need for users to manually conduct extensive research by delivering comprehensive AI-generated answers in a structured manner.

Rumors about AI Mode have been circulating for a while, and now, Google has officially confirmed its existence—at least for some early testers

How AI Mode Works

AI Mode leverages a method called “query fan-out,” where multiple related searches are processed simultaneously across various subtopics and data sources. The system then synthesizes these results into a single, informative response. According to Google, this technique offers a more extensive and in-depth information retrieval experience than a standard Google Search.

This feature supports multiple search inputs, including text, voice, and images, thanks to its multimodal capabilities. Additionally, it allows users to engage in follow-up conversations, much like AI Overviews and the Gemini chatbot.

AI Mode presents itself as a dedicated tab within Google Search

How to Access AI Mode

Currently, AI Mode is restricted to Google Search Labs participants. Initially, Google One AI Premium subscribers will get priority access, with a broader rollout planned later.

To try AI Mode, follow these steps:
1. Visit Google Search Labs and sign up for the experiment.
2. Once granted access, try one of these methods:
-Enter a query in the Google Search bar, then select the AI Mode tab beneath it.
-Go directly to google.com/aimode.
-In the Google app, tap the AI Mode icon located below the search bar on the home screen.

Links and Sources in AI Mode

Much like AI Overviews, AI Mode prioritizes surfacing relevant web links to help users discover useful pages they might not have found otherwise. However, Google notes that AI Mode’s link selection may differ from AI Overviews, presenting alternative sources and responses based on context.

Users can freely ask any questions and receive AI-powered answers, along with follow-up options and related web links for deeper exploration.

Google has also emphasized that AI Mode’s training models intelligently determine how and when to insert hyperlinks. If the AI detects that a user may need to take action—such as booking a ticket or completing a purchase—it will strategically include the necessary links. Similarly, if a query benefits from visual explanations, the AI will prioritize images and videos.

Will AI Mode Data Appear in Google Search Console?

When asked about whether AI Mode-related data would be visible in Google Search Console reports, Google provided a vague response: “We currently don’t have anything to share about reporting tools for this experiment, but we will update if that changes.”

While this isn’t the confirmation that webmasters and SEO professionals were hoping for, it remains an open possibility for future enhancements.

AI Mode Safety and Accuracy

Given that AI Mode is still in its early stages, Google is launching it cautiously as an opt-in feature within Search Labs. The company acknowledges that AI Mode, like any experimental AI tool, won’t always produce perfect responses.

Google reassures users that AI Mode has undergone extensive internal testing with trusted evaluators and that they will continue refining it based on real-world feedback. The system will adapt dynamically to:

• Improve response accuracy
• Avoid biased or misleading answers
• Ensure follow-up questions maintain contextual relevance
• Recognize and appropriately handle humor and satire

As users begin testing AI Mode, expect a wave of interesting examples to surface across social media and mainstream news outlets.

Gemini 2.0 Supercharges AI Overviews

Alongside the AI Mode reveal, Google announced that AI Overviews are now powered by Gemini 2.0. This upgrade was first hinted at in December when Google CEO Sundar Pichai teased its capabilities. Now, it’s officially live.

What’s New with Gemini 2.0 in AI Overviews?

Google has rolled out Gemini 2.0-powered AI Overviews in the U.S., specifically enhancing responses for complex queries related to coding, advanced mathematics, and multimodal requests.

“With Gemini 2.0’s advanced capabilities, we provide faster and higher-quality responses and show AI Overviews more frequently for these types of queries,” Google stated.

Expanded Availability for AI Overviews

A major update is the expansion of AI Overviews to teenagers. Previously, accessing AI Overviews required signing in to a Google account. Now, younger users can explore AI-generated responses without needing to log in.

This move aligns with Google’s push to make AI-powered search assistance more accessible to a broader audience, including students and young learners.

With AI Mode and Gemini 2.0-powered AI Overviews, Google is reshaping how users interact with search. AI Mode aims to make exploration, comparisons, and reasoning more seamless, while Gemini 2.0 brings faster, more precise AI-generated answers.

Though AI Mode remains in limited beta testing, its eventual broader rollout could transform the way users conduct research and discover new content online. Meanwhile, AI Overviews’ expanded accessibility signals Google’s commitment to integrating AI into everyday search experiences.

As AI-driven search continues evolving, the real question is:

How will these advancements impact traditional SEO and content discovery?

Time will tell, but one thing is certain—AI is playing an increasingly dominant role in shaping the future of search.