Google expands AI functionality in search

In the US, Google's latest AI mode has been introduced with the integration of Gemini 2.5. In this blog post, you will learn what these developments mean, how they affect your search results and why you as a website owner or marketer should already be taking this into account.

AI is here to stay. The competition between big players like ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot and Google's Gemini is accelerating rapidly. Google has now integrated AI into almost all search queries. For many users, this means a fundamentally different search experience: instead of a list of links, they now receive an instant AI summary of relevant information, roadmaps or recommendations.

During Google's annual I/O conference, the depth of this change became clear. There, Google unveiled several updates that bring AI even more to the forefront of search - most notably through AI Overviews, AI Mode and new AI tools such as Live Visual Search and AI Agents.

AI Overviews available worldwide

AI Overviews, the AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, are now available in more than 200 countries and in more than 40 languages. Google's internal research shows that searches using AI Overviews are seeing a 10% increase in search activity in key markets such as the US and India.

While there were previously concerns about inaccurate or even harmful information in these overviews, improvements are constantly being made. Thanks to the continuous training of the Gemini model, the accuracy of AI reviews has improved. Of course, it is still possible that a query will not be answered correctly. But this will continue to improve in the future.

AI Mode: reinventing the search

The introduction of AI Mode marks an even bigger step towards interactive search experiences. This feature is now available to all users in the US, without the need for further registration via Search Labs.

How does AI mode work?

AI Mode uses a "query fan-out" system: complex search queries are broken down into smaller sub-queries that are examined in parallel.

Users can ask follow-up questions directly in the same search environment.

Helpful links and related resources are displayed in the results.

AI Mode also serves as a testing ground for the implementation of Gemini 2.5, Google's latest AI model. Through user interactions, the functionalities are constantly being refined.

New AI features you should know about

1. deep search

For in-depth searches, deep search helps users perform hundreds of searches simultaneously. Within minutes, the AI creates a citable report suitable for professional use.

2. Live Visual Search - Project Astra

You can now use your smartphone's camera to analyze live objects and ask questions about them. Think: "What is this building?" or "Where can I buy this product?". This opens up new possibilities for visual shopping, local search and education.

3. AI agents - they take tasks off users' hands

Google is introducing so-called AI agents to help users complete complex tasks, such as:

Booking tickets
Booking restaurants
Making appointments

The AI evaluates hundreds of options, fills out forms and makes suggestions - but the final decision is always up to the user. Partners such as Ticketmaster, Resy and Vagaro are already connected.

Smarter shopping with AI

Google combines the Shopping Graph with Gemini AI to offer a revolutionary shopping experience:

Personalized product recommendations based on style and preferences.

Virtual try-on of garments via an uploaded photo.

Smart checkout assistant: Let Google complete a purchase when a product is on sale.

Users can also request live graphs, e.g. for stock prices or sports scores, generated directly by AI.

Balancing personalization and data protection

In the near future, AI mode will become even more personalized, with suggestions based on your search history or - if you wish - on your data from other Google services such as Gmail. Are you planning a trip, for example? Then Google can automatically suggest hotels, attractions or restaurants that match your previous preferences.

Google emphasizes that transparency and control are key: You can always see when your data is being used and can adjust your privacy settings at any time.

AI as standard in the search experience

Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained at the I/O event that AI will radically change the search engine experience. He did not describe it as a "zero-sum game", but rather as an expansion of possibilities for users and companies. AI features like Gemini 2.5 will continue to be refined based on user feedback, so

SEO, or search engine optimization as it's called, is going to change, and if you don't take this into account, your website may fade into oblivion. Many website owners and content creators here are also expanding to visual search platforms such as Pinterest and other social media channels. This serves to get traffic to a website that goes beyond a search engine. In any case, it is advisable to stop relying solely on search engines to generate a reliable source of traffic to your website. Expand your website to multiple visual platforms and videos to get alternative traffic sources as well.

It is increasingly common for an AI overview to discourage users from visiting the actual source as well, as their question or problem is already answered directly in the search results. So it's an uncertain future for the website owners who provide and author these resources, and there will be a debate in the future about how to deal with this.

What do you think the future holds for AI? Share it with us on social media!

For the best foundation for your website, take a look at our hosting packages .