Google’s experimental AI mode, an AI assistant in Search that pulls from the company’s search index, is rolling out broadly, the company said in a blog post on Thursday.
Soon, a «small percentage» of users will begin seeing the AI Mode tab in Search. For those wanting to get in on the AI Mode action immediately, they can gain access via Google Labs, no need to be put on a waitlist. Google says AI Mode will pull more information, including local images, ratings, reviews, store hours and real-time pricing. AI Mode also has memory, so it’ll be possible to pick up from past AI Mode sessions.
In AI Mode, it’s possible to ask for the best folding camping chairs under $100, and it’ll generate a breakdown with links to retailers, Google said. The company is likely taking this data from reviews posted online, both from users and dedicated websites. It’s unclear whether Google will bank the affiliate revenue that comes from purchases made via online shopping recommendations. ChatGPT recently introduced new enhanced shopping recommendations but doesn’t take affiliate revenue at the moment.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, creators of ChatGPT, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
AI Mode further fuses Google’s core product with AI. This comes as competitors like Perplexity bill themselves as AI search engines, combining the generative capabilities of AI with online search. Given that Google is the world’s most popular search engine, with 90% market share according to StartCounter, its search index is highly powerful. Google’s dedicated AI assistant, Gemini, too ranks highly on benchmarks. By melding both Search and AI, it could make for a compelling product for users.
Google’s AI Mode, however, does potentially change how publishers gain traffic via Search. For decades, publishers have relied on Google’s blue links to bring them clicks. If users can get all the information they need via AI Mode, and, as a result, don’t click out to the sources that feed the AI that information, it could spell trouble for how sites make money.