Mountain View, CA – Google Rolls Out AI-Powered Search Mode to U.S. Users

A Major Leap for Google Search Experience

Google has officially launched its new AI-powered search mode for all users in the United States, marking a significant transformation of how information is accessed on the platform. The new feature introduces an interactive overlay that presents AI-generated summaries and direct answers alongside the traditional list of web results.

Gemini 2.5 at the Core of the Upgrade

At the heart of this new experience is Google’s advanced Gemini 2.5 model, which CEO Sundar Pichai described as being deeply integrated into Search. The integration allows for more context-aware, conversational, and comprehensive responses to user queries—representing a major shift toward AI-enhanced information retrieval.

“This is about making Search more intuitive and useful,” said Pichai. “We’re evolving it into something that can better understand your intent and deliver what you need faster, with more clarity.”

Seamless Summaries and Smart Answers

Once activated, the AI mode enables Search to deliver dynamic summaries of complex topics, highlight key facts, and even suggest follow-up questions—similar to the user experience of a chatbot, but fully embedded in the familiar Google interface. This allows users to consume information more efficiently, especially when researching unfamiliar or nuanced subjects.

Standalone Gemini App Gains Momentum

Pichai also highlighted the rapid growth of the standalone Gemini app, which now boasts over 400 million monthly active users globally. This milestone signals strong consumer interest in generative AI applications and reinforces Google’s broader strategy to weave Gemini into all major user-facing products, from Workspace to Android.

User Control and Opt-In Simplicity

The AI-enhanced Search experience is opt-in, giving users control over how they interact with the platform. Once enabled, the interface introduces an AI Overview section for eligible queries, without removing or obscuring traditional search results—ensuring that users still have access to source links and supporting information.

Toward the Future of Search

Google’s AI-powered search mode is the latest move in an ongoing industry race to redefine online search through generative AI. By combining the scale of its search index with the real-time reasoning power of Gemini 2.5, Google is positioning itself to remain the default entry point for information in an increasingly AI-driven internet.

With rollout across the U.S. complete, Google is expected to expand the new search experience to additional markets in the coming months.