Google AI Mode Expands to More Users

Google has begun expanding access to its AI Mode feature by rolling it out to a second batch of users. This follows the initial launch, which gave early access to Google One AI Premium subscribers on March 5th. Now, more users based in the United States, particularly those who opted into AI Mode, may start noticing that they have gained access to this much-anticipated tool. The gradual rollout seems to be part of Google’s phased approach, ensuring that the feature is refined and user feedback is addressed before making it widely available.

Accessing AI Mode is fairly straightforward once you’ve been granted entry. You can navigate to www.google.com, type a query into the search bar, and then select the “AI Mode” tab, which appears just beneath the search bar. If you prefer, you can also skip directly to the feature by visiting google.com/aimode. For those using the Google app, the process is similarly easy: simply tap the AI Mode icon located below the search bar on the app’s home screen. This multi-platform accessibility is designed to give users flexibility in how they engage with AI-powered search enhancements.

Despite the excitement around the rollout, it wasn’t entirely without hiccups. During this phase, some users encountered an initial glitch that temporarily hampered access. Google began sending email invitations around 5:20 p.m. ET, inviting hundreds of searchers to try out AI Mode. However, upon clicking the “Try now” button in the email, many users were met with an unexpected issue: instead of being directed straight into the AI Mode experience, they were prompted to opt in and wait for access – even though they had already received an invitation.

This glitch caused some temporary confusion, but it highlights the challenges tech giants often face during large-scale feature rollouts. As with many beta or phased releases, minor bugs and access delays can arise as the system adapts to increased demand. Google is likely monitoring these issues closely to ensure a smoother user experience as more people gain access to AI Mode in the coming weeks.

For those eagerly awaiting access, this phased rollout could be seen as a promising sign that Google is ramping up availability and ironing out any remaining kinks before opening it up to a broader audience. As AI integration continues to evolve within Google’s search ecosystem, users can expect ongoing improvements and new AI-driven functionalities designed to enhance the way they search, learn, and interact online.

I recently discussed these developments on the Search Engine Roundtable, highlighting some of the key features and functionality of Google’s new AI Mode.

What is AI Mode?
AI Mode is a new tab integrated within Google Search, and at present, it is only available to users who have been accepted into the Google Search Labs experiment. This feature brings a more AI-enhanced experience to Google’s traditional search interface. According to Google, AI Mode has been designed to be particularly useful for search queries that may require deeper exploration, reasoning, or comparisons. Essentially, this new AI-driven system offers users the ability to explore topics more thoroughly, while providing detailed, AI-generated responses that take much of the effort out of making comparisons and conducting in-depth analyses manually.

In practical terms, AI Mode acts as a tool to streamline research by giving users comprehensive answers that synthesize information across multiple sources. Whether you are searching for product reviews, exploring historical topics, or comparing different investment strategies, AI Mode aims to simplify this process by offering clear, summarised results directly within the search interface.

For those who had been following earlier speculation about this feature, AI Mode’s official rollout has been long anticipated, and it’s now here—albeit for a limited number of early users.

To help users understand how this new feature works, I’ve put together a more detailed guide on AI Mode, which you can explore for a deeper look at how it might change your search habits.

Why This Matters
AI Mode could potentially offer a glimpse into the future of Google Search and the wider search landscape. This tool may be laying the groundwork for a future where AI-based assistance plays a larger role in helping users gather and process information quickly and accurately. If Google continues to refine this technology and expand access, it could eventually lead to AI-powered search becoming an integral part of everyday search experiences.

This development is also important for businesses, content creators, and website owners, as the new AI functionality may impact how search results are displayed and ranked. Understanding how AI Mode works now, while it’s still in the experimental phase, could help users and businesses stay ahead of future changes to the search algorithm.

If you’ve been granted access to AI Mode, it’s worth spending some time experimenting with the feature. This will allow you to better understand how it works, what types of queries it is best suited for, and how it differs from the regular Google search experience.

Confirmation from Google
Google’s Robby Stein has officially confirmed that AI Mode’s rollout is expanding, with more users now gaining access to this experimental feature. This confirms that Google is actively working on broadening the reach of AI Mode, although it remains part of the Search Labs initiative for now.

As the rollout continues, it will be interesting to see how AI Mode evolves and what additional updates or features may be introduced in the future. For now, those lucky enough to be included in the early rollout can explore this new tool and experience first-hand how AI is beginning to shape the way we search for information online.