Google is testing the integration of AI Overview with AI Mode

With OpenAI moving to “Code Red” due to competitive pressures, Google announced that it has begun testing a new feature that combines an overview of AI with the status of AI in search. This means that users who are presented with a now-common snapshot of basic AI-generated information about a topic or question at the top of their search results can choose to dig deeper by asking follow-up questions in the conversational interface.

Google calls this conversation feature AI mode. It launched for users in the US last May, and for global users in August, allowing two-way conversations with Google’s Gemini AI, in an experience similar to ChatGPT.

However, getting the experience so far requires you to think ahead about the type of question you are preparing to research. If it’s a more traditional search query, or one where you can expect a quick answer, you should probably continue typing in the search box as usual.

But if you expect to ask more questions or explore a topic in more detail, you’ll have to tap the AI ​​Mode tab to start chatting with the AI ​​instead.

Google now wants to test whether it makes sense to distinguish between the two experiences. After all, the process of searching for information can often lead to a desire to know more. You may have thought you were starting out with a simple query, only to find yourself digging deeper into the topic.

With the new test, announced on Monday, Google says users will be able to “seamlessly dive into” AI mode directly from the search results page. While the test is rolling out to users globally, it is only available on mobile devices at this time.

The rollout comes alongside a push within Google’s AI competitor, OpenAI, which is now delaying other products to focus on improving the chatbox experience. Thanks in part to the release of Gemini’s Nano Banana image model and other Gemini improvements, Gemini’s user base has grown to over 650 million monthly users as of November. Integrating conversation mode with AI Overviews, which has 2 billion monthly users, could give Gemini an advantage in consumer adoption.

“You don’t have to think about where or how to ask your question,” notes Robbie Stein, vice president of product for Google Search, in a post on X. Instead, he explained, users will still get an overview of the AI ​​as a useful starting point, but will then be able to ask follow-up conversation questions in AI mode from the same screen.

“This brings us closer to our vision of search: just ask what you have in mind—no matter how long or complex—and find exactly what you need,” Stein wrote.

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