Google’s AI Mode adds visual search with image analysis

Google has rolled out visual search capabilities to its AI Mode feature, allowing users to receive image-based results alongside text responses to their queries. The update represents a significant expansion of Google’s AI-powered search tool, introducing what the company calls “visual search fan-out” technology that can analyze subtle details and secondary objects within images.

What you should know: Google Search’s AI Mode now delivers visual results similar to clicking the Images tab, but with enhanced AI-powered analysis and conversational follow-up capabilities.

• Users in the US can ask questions in AI Mode and receive a range of images with clickable links for additional information.
• The feature supports image uploads and photo capture to initiate searches, enabling users to search within an image and ask follow-up questions.
• Currently available only in English and limited to US users.

How it works: The new visual search fan-out technique builds on Google’s existing query fan-out approach by detecting “subtle details and secondary objects in addition to the primary subjects” in an image.

• Mobile users can search within an image and engage in conversational follow-up questions to refine their results.
• The AI can understand natural language queries without requiring manual filter adjustments for specific attributes.

Shopping gets smarter: The visual update transforms how users shop through AI Mode by eliminating the need to manually adjust filters for style, size, color, or brand preferences.

• Typing queries like “barrel jeans that aren’t too baggy” allows the AI to understand specific preferences and present relevant product options.
• The system can process nuanced shopping requests and deliver targeted results without requiring users to navigate traditional e-commerce filters.

The bigger picture: This update positions Google to compete more directly with visual search platforms and shopping-focused AI tools, leveraging its massive image database and search infrastructure to create more intuitive discovery experiences.