Google is rolling out new features for AI Mode in Search, aiming to automate complex tasks and deliver more personalized results. This update brings AI Mode to over 180 additional countries, expanding its reach beyond the US, India, and the UK.
Unlike the "AI Overviews" available in most regions, which provide only short answers with no follow-up, AI Mode lets users chat with Google Search much like they would with ChatGPT. That's more bad news for web publishers, who are likely already losing traffic to AI Overviews. With AI Mode's chat features, the impact could be even bigger.
Google says feedback on AI Mode has been especially positive for longer, more complex questions. The company is now expanding the feature to over 180 new countries and regions, but for now it's only available in English. EU countries are not included in this rollout.
Google tests agent-based search
The update adds new "agentic" tools that let Google Search handle tasks like booking a restaurant by itself. Users can enter group size, time, location, and cuisine, and AI Mode will search services like OpenTable, Resy, and Tock in real time. It then returns a list of available restaurants with direct booking links.
Video: Google AI
Google plans to extend these features to local services and event ticketing through partners such as Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek, and Booksy. These capabilities run on Google's live web browsing system Project Mariner, direct integrations with partner services, the Google Knowledge Graph, and Google Maps data.
For now, these agent-based features are limited to paying users with a Google AI Ultra subscription in the US and only as part of the Labs experiment on agent-based features. Security is still an issue; studies show agent-based AI systems with browser access face significant risks, so it's likely smart to avoid sharing personal information.
AI Mode gets more personal
AI Mode now personalizes its answers based on previous activity, like search history, conversations, or clicks in Search and Maps. For example, if you look for a quick lunch, Google will suggest restaurants that match your preferences, such as Italian, plant-based, or outdoor seating.
Personalization is currently limited to food-related topics and can be adjusted or turned off in account settings. Google's deep access to user data could give it an edge over other answer engines, including ChatGPT Search. There's also a new option for users to share AI Mode answers with others.
