Google Search's AI Mode expands its reach across the US, gets new features
Google Search launched AI Mode back in March as an experimental feature that would transform your search experience into more or less a conversation with a chatbot. Now, AI Mode has become available to all Google Labs users in the US, without a waitlist (which was previously a thing). If you want to enable it, you can go to Labs. And, "in the coming weeks", Google says, "a small percentage of people in the US" will see the AI Mode tab in Search without going to Labs to enable it.
Rolling out over the next week are visual place and product cards in AI Mode, which will let you tap to get more details. Cards for things like restaurants, salons, and stores, will show ratings, reviews, and opening hours, while for products you"ll see shoppable options with real-time prices, images, shipping details, and local inventory.
There"s also a new left side panel in AI Mode on desktop, and this shows your past searches so you can quickly get back to any one of them. Each topic will include the info that AI Mode already found for you, and you can then ask follow-up questions if you want to.
