Google’s AI Mode Arrives in the UK: A Deeper Dive into Search
Google has officially launched its AI Mode in the UK, ushering in a more conversational and context-aware era for its core search product. This evolution moves beyond the brief summaries of AI Overviews, transforming search into a deep-dive, chatbot-like experience designed to tackle complex, multi-part queries.
Powered by the custom Gemini 2.5 model, AI Mode allows users to ask intricate questions that would previously necessitate multiple separate searches.The feature intelligently breaks down these queries into subtopics through a “query fan-out” process, executing multiple searches together to deliver a synthesized answer complete with relevant web links.
“You can now experience this firsthand with AI Mode, our most powerful AI search experience, with more advanced reasoning and multimodality, and the ability to go deeper through follow-up questions and helpful links to the web,” stated Hema Budaraju, Vice president of Product Management for Search at Google.
Early testing has revealed a meaningful shift in user behavior, with Budaraju noting, “We’ve found that early users of AI Mode are asking questions that are two or three times the length of traditional search queries.”
However, the rollout is not without its concerns. Experts and publishers are voicing apprehension that AI Overviews and now AI Mode could divert crucial referral traffic away from websites, possibly impacting ad-based business models. Studies have indicated a sharp decline in click-through rates when AI summaries supplant traditional search listings.
UK regulators are closely monitoring Google’s advancements.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently evaluating whether to designate Google as a “strategic market status” provider. This designation could lead to the enforcement of new rules concerning transparency and publisher rights within this evolving AI search landscape. A final decision from the CMA is anticipated by October 2025.Google asserts that AI Mode is built upon its existing ranking systems and incorporates new safeguards to ensure factual accuracy. In instances where the system lacks confidence in its AI-generated response, it will revert to displaying a standard list of search results. “We aim to show an AI-powered response as much as possible, but in cases where we don’t have high confidence, you will see a set of web search results,” Budaraju explained. “As with any early-stage AI product, we won’t always get it right, but we are committed to continuous improvement.”
AI Mode also broadens the scope of user interaction with search. The feature is fully multimodal, accepting input via text, voice, or images. This allows users, for example, to upload a photograph of a product or landmark and pose contextual questions about it.
This progress positions Google’s AI Mode in direct competition with other AI-enhanced platforms, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, wich also offers image and voice input capabilities, and Microsoft’s Copilot, deeply integrated into the Windows ecosystem and bing search.
