Google today introduced its AI mode, a question-and-answer search tool, to users in India. The company said that this tool is still in the experimental stage, and users will need to connect to it through Search Labs.
After the user registers, he or she will be able to ask queries in English. Google did not specify if and when it plans to support local languages.
Users can search for answers to complex, multi-part queries such as “My children are 4 and 7 years old and very energetic. Suggest creative ways to keep them active and moving indoors, especially on hot days, without too much space and expensive toys.” In addition, users can ask additional questions to clarify the results.
Google began testing the artificial intelligence mode with premium subscribers in the United States earlier this year. After the Google IO event, the company began to roll out the feature to all US users. Subsequently, the company added a shopping feature, introduced support for voice and image search, as well as advertising.
The company said that voice and image search functions are supported for users in India, as voice is a popular way to search. The company added that the AI mode is powered by a special version of Gemini 2.5. The company also noted that the first testers of the AI mode ask 2-3 times longer queries.
With over 870 million internet users, India is one of the largest markets for Google. It also acts as a testing ground for the company, where it observes how multilingual users use its products.
Although Google still has the lion’s share of the search market, people have begun to use chat-based AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity more in their daily lives. With AI mode, Google wants users who prefer this interface to use its own product.
In addition to AI mode, Google is promoting products in search such as AI reviews that summarize query results for you. In April, the company said that more than 1.5 billion people worldwide use AI reviews. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google’s AI features are hurting publishers who are seeing a drop in organic search traffic.
