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Google launches AI Mode in India as first international expansion
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Google has launched AI Mode in India as its first international expansion of the AI-powered search experience, making it available to all users in English after a successful two-week testing period. This marks a significant milestone in Google’s global AI strategy, bringing advanced conversational search capabilities to one of the world’s largest internet markets following the feature’s US debut at I/O 2025.

What you should know: AI Mode offers a more sophisticated search experience than traditional Google Search or AI Overviews, powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5.

  • The feature uses a “query fan-out technique” that breaks questions into subtopics and issues multiple queries simultaneously on behalf of users.
  • It supports longer text prompts (2-3x the length of traditional searches), voice input with visual waveforms, and image uploads via Google Lens.
  • Users can ask follow-up questions after receiving initial responses, creating a conversational search experience.

How it works: AI Mode leverages multiple data sources and advanced reasoning capabilities to provide comprehensive answers.

  • The system draws from “fresh, real-time sources like the Knowledge Graph, info about the real world, and shopping data for billions of products.”
  • Response surfaces show what links were used to answer questions, maintaining transparency.
  • The multimodal experience is available through the Google app for Android and iOS, as well as at google.com/aimode.

Real-world example: Google demonstrated AI Mode’s capabilities with a plant identification scenario where users can upload an image and ask complex questions.

  • A user could ask: “What’s this plant and give me instructions on how to repot and take care of it.”
  • AI Mode identifies the plant visually and provides detailed, step-by-step responses with relevant article links.
  • Follow-up questions like “Where should I place it in my home for best growth?” are seamlessly handled.

User adoption: Early testing results in India showed positive reception among users exploring diverse use cases.

  • Google noted “encouraging” response rates, with users appreciating the speed and quality of responses.
  • The company observed users “diving deep into topics for learning to understanding complex how-tos.”
  • The feature transitioned from Search Labs experiment to full availability within two weeks.

Access methods: Users can access AI Mode through multiple entry points within Google’s search ecosystem.

  • A new shortcut appears in the Search bar for direct access.
  • AI Mode appears as a filter option alongside “All,” “Images,” and “News” on search results pages.
  • A shortcut to launch AI Mode is available at the bottom of AI Overviews.

Why this matters: India represents a crucial testing ground for Google’s AI expansion strategy, serving as the gateway to international markets beyond the US while demonstrating the company’s commitment to making advanced AI search accessible globally.

Google launches AI Mode in India as first international expansion [U]

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