Google is increasingly developing from a search engine into an answer engine. The US company is now activating an AI search function in more than 40 countries after first it launched in the US, UK and India. — Photo: Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa
BERLIN: Google is rolling out its new AI-powered search mode in more than 40 countries and territories, including several in Europe such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Poland, as well as Thailand and Vietnam.
The feature, which allows users to chat directly within a search, was first launched in the United States, the United Kingdom and India in July. According to the tech giant, AI Mode is now available in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
"You can ask anything and get an AI-powered response, with the ability to go deeper through follow-up questions and helpful links to the web," Google said, announcing the rollout.
The AI mode can be accessed via Google.com or local country sites, appearing as an extra tab alongside standard options such as "All," Images, Videos and News. Google cautioned that the option may take several days to appear as servers are updated gradually.
The addition of AI Mode comes after Google rolled out AI overviews for certain topics, small snippets of AI-generated text designed to answer questions or give summaries of information relevant to a search query. These still included standard links and paid ads.
If the new AI mode is selected, traditional link lists are replaced by detailed answers, with sources partially cited in footnotes and the top three sources highlighted in a side column.
The AI mode uses Google's Gemini Pro 2.5 system, designed to provide accurate responses with minimal delay.
"Using a custom version of our advanced Gemini models, AI Mode lets you ask longer, more complex questions that would have previously required multiple searches," said Hema Budaraju, Google vice president, citing examples such as creating detailed weekend plans in Edinburgh based on specific interests.
Publishers and companies that rely on Google search traffic worry about potential drops in clicks. Google officials said early experience in the US and UK suggests that source citations linking to high-quality sites continue to generate substantial traffic.
AI chatbots remain prone to hallucinations and deceptions – meaning they often generate false or bizarre responses to prompts and make misleading claims about their functionality.
Google, defending itself against accusations of prompting a drop-off in traffic to websites, said in an August post that click volume to websites has been "relatively stable."
"An AI response might provide the lay of the land, but people click to dive deeper and learn more, and when they do, these clicks are more valuable," Liz Reid, head of Google Search, said, arguing that overviews mostly slowing traffic from people who want a quick answer. – dpa
