Google has launched a new experimental AI search tool, AI Mode, in a bid to compete with the likes of ChatGPT and Perplexity AI. Blending powerful generative AI with their traditional search interface, Google’s new chatbot goes beyond the familiar ten blue links, delivering detailed answers with advanced reasoning and real-time information. In this article, we’ll explore what Google’s AI Mode is and how it differs from other AI-driven search tools. We’ll break down its key features and functionality, highlight strengths and weaknesses compared to existing tools, and discuss the potential impact on user search behavior.

Google’s AI Mode is a new search experience (currently only available to Google One AI Premium members in the US via Search Labs) that uses Google’s latest AI model (a custom version of Gemini 2.0) to generate rich, conversational answers directly in Google search results​. Instead of just showing a list of website links, AI Mode gives an AI-generated overview in response to your query, complete with relevant information gathered from multiple sources and accompanied by citations/links for reference. It is particularly designed for complex or multi-part questions that typically would require multiple searches – for example, comparing detailed options or exploring a new concept step-by-step​. As with other AI powered search tools, users can ask follow-up questions in a conversational manner, allowing them to dive deeper into a particular topic within the same search session. This effectively turns search into an interactive dialogue, powered by Google’s AI and backed by Google’s vast index of information.

Google’s AI Mode introduces several notable features and enhancements over a standard search experience:

• Advanced reasoning for complex queries: AI Mode uses a custom version of Gemini 2.0 that excels at reasoning through complicated, multi-part questions​. You can ask nuanced questions that might have previously required piecing together answers from multiple searches. For example, you could ask a detailed planning question or a comparison between technical options, and the AI will break down the problem and address each part in a structured answer.
• Conversational search with follow-ups: AI Mode supports follow-up questions and context carryover, turning search into a conversation. After getting an initial answer, you can ask a clarifying question or request more detail, and the AI will remember the context. This multi-turn conversation ability creates a more natural, interactive search experience, allowing deeper exploration of a topic​.
• Integrated web links and citations: Google’s AI Mode provides source links so you can verify information or read more about the topic you are searching for. The AI-generated answers are presented in flowing text but include inline citations or a list of sources. The information is backed by verifiable content, and Google has emphasised factual accuracy – if the system isn’t confident in an answer, it will default to showing regular search results instead​. This focus on factual reliability helps address concerns about AI “hallucinations” by prioritising trusted sources and showing users where the information is coming from.
• Deep integration with Google’s data ecosystem: A key advantage of AI Mode is how it leverages Google’s enormous data and knowledge base. It doesn’t rely solely on a pre-trained model’s memory; it actively pulls in fresh information from Google’s index, Knowledge Graph (for facts about entities), and even up-to-the-minute news or product info​. This means answers can include very current information (something a static model might miss) and factual data like dates, figures, or product details drawn from structured Google data. By contrast, standalone AI chatbots without this integration might give outdated answers if their training data is old.
• Parallel search processing (“Query Fan-Out”): When you submit a question in AI Mode, Google’s system will often break it into sub-queries and search for each in parallel​. For example, a question comparing two products might spawn separate searches about each product’s specs, user reviews, pricing, etc. The AI then combines all of those results into one answer. This parallel processing allows more breadth and depth in the response than a single traditional search could provide​.

With these capabilities, Google’s AI Mode is poised to change how users interact with search, especially for in-depth inquiries. Next, let’s compare how this new mode stacks up against other AI-powered search tools available today.

Google is not the only player integrating AI into search. Competing offerings like Perplexity AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT (among others) also provide AI-driven search or Q&A experiences. However, each takes a different approach.

Google AI Mode vs. Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI is a newer AI-powered search engine that, like Google’s AI Mode, answers questions by fetching information from the web and then summarising it with an AI model. Perplexity has gained a niche following for its clean interface and strong focus on citations. How does it differ from Google’s AI Mode?

• Independence and integration: Perplexity is an independent platform, not a general-purpose search engine with its own vast index like Google. It relies on querying the web and then uses an AI (such as GPT-3.5 or GPT-4) to formulate an answer. The key difference is integration with data systems: Google’s AI Mode benefits from Google’s internal data (knowledge graph, etc.) and infrastructure, potentially giving it a broader and deeper pool of information to draw from​. Perplexity, being separate, doesn’t have a proprietary index on the scale of Google’s, so it’s limited to what it can fetch via search and any indexed sources it has.
• Real-time information: Perplexity does fetch information in real time (that’s one of its selling points – it’s not limited by a training cutoff). In practice, Google AI Mode and Perplexity both can provide up-to-date info, but Google’s integration means it can also pull from live updates (news, etc.) seamlessly. Perplexity will show you what sources it found and often includes the time or date of those sources. Google will similarly include fresh sources and even say when it’s using real-time info. Both are strong in freshness, but Google might have an edge for truly live data (e.g. Google can directly incorporate something from minutes ago if it’s indexed or in its news feed).
• User base and access: Perplexity is available to anyone for free (with some limits) and has a premium version for more advanced GPT-4 answers. Google’s AI Mode, at least in early 2025, is restricted to invited users or Google One subscribers with AI features. Over time, Google will likely roll it out more broadly.

Strengths & weaknesses: Google AI Mode’s strength against Perplexity is the combination of breadth and depth – it can answer more complex questions by drawing on more sources and using better reasoning, all integrated in one place​. Perplexity’s strength is being lean and focused: it often gives very concise answers with minimal fluff and clearly shows sources, which some users (especially researchers) appreciate. However, users have to go to a separate site or app to use Perplexity, whereas Google’s AI Mode is in a place where billions of searches are already happening. Overall, Perplexity pioneered the kind of experience that Google is now building natively, but Google’s version could eclipse it by virtue of superior data integration and user convenience.

Google AI Mode vs. ChatGPT

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, isn’t a search engine, but it is a prominent AI tool often compared in this space because it answers questions in a conversational way. It’s important to clarify the context: ChatGPT (the default free version) does not have direct access to live web information. Still, many people use ChatGPT as an information tool, so how does Google’s AI Mode differ?

• Data sources: Google AI Mode pulls from the live web and Google’s index every time you ask a question​. ChatGPT’s default knowledge, on the other hand, comes from its training data (which, as of March 2025, includes data up to around October 2023, with limited knowledge of more recent events unless using an update or browsing). This means out-of-the-box ChatGPT can’t reliably handle queries about very recent events or dynamic information (unless you’re using the paid version of course).
• Purpose and usage: ChatGPT is a general AI assistant – you can ask it to write code, draft emails, brainstorm ideas, educate you on a subject, etc., all in a conversational flow. Google’s AI Mode is narrower in purpose: it’s meant to enhance search. So while it can also handle coding questions or explanations, it doesn’t for example directly write a long essay unless that’s part of answering your query. ChatGPT often excels at creative tasks or open-ended discussions that go beyond factual Q&A. If you asked ChatGPT to write a short story or solve a puzzle, it would do so from its trained knowledge. Google’s AI Mode might not even engage with a prompt that isn’t essentially a search query. Thus, ChatGPT’s strength is its versatility and depth in pure conversation (with no requirement of citing sources), whereas Google’s AI Mode focuses on being an accurate research tool embedded in search results.
• Citation and trustworthiness: By design, ChatGPT does not provide citations for its answers, and it can sometimes “hallucinate” facts or sources, which is problematic if you need to verify information. Google’s AI Mode always ties back to sources and will avoid answering if it can’t ensure accuracy​. For someone looking for an answer they can trust or use in research, AI Mode’s approach is more transparent. ChatGPT is great for quick explanations or drafting, but if a user needs to double-check facts, they have to manually ask for sources or use the browsing tool. In contrast, Google AI Mode includes the links up front, making it easier to trust (or at least verify) the response.
• Model capabilities: ChatGPT (especially GPT-4 version) is extremely powerful in reasoning and language, and in some contexts it might produce a more detailed or eloquent answer than Google’s AI Mode. However, ChatGPT’s weakness is it might not know the latest specifics or data points post its training cutoff. Google’s model in AI Mode is also highly capable and is specifically tuned for providing “high-quality responses” in search​.
• Accessibility: ChatGPT is accessed via OpenAI’s website (or API) and requires an account sign-up, with the GPT-4 version paywalled under ChatGPT Plus. Google’s AI Mode, once fully launched, will be accessible to anyone on Google Search for free. That is a huge difference in potential reach. ChatGPT’s interface (the free version) is purely a chat with no extra web content, while Google’s AI Mode lives alongside the web content it’s drawing from.

Strengths & weaknesses: Google’s AI Mode is strongest where ChatGPT is weak: real-time factual queries with need for source attribution. It provides an answer you can cite or trust to be up to date​. ChatGPT’s strength is in open-domain creativity and instructive dialogue – it’s often more flexible in what you can ask. For an SEO expert or researcher, Google AI Mode might be the preferred tool for gathering information with confidence in the source; ChatGPT might be what you use to brainstorm how to use that information or to generate content from it. One could imagine using both: e.g., ask Google AI Mode for the latest stats or details on a topic (with sources), then use ChatGPT to help craft a report or article around that info. Another point: ChatGPT, being model-based, sometimes injects more of a conversational filler and can occasionally deviate. Google AI Mode, guided by actual search results, is more likely to stick to the point. In summary, ChatGPT is a broad AI assistant with knowledge (albeit time-limited), whereas Google’s AI Mode is an AI-enhanced search specialist grounded in live data. Each has their place, but for the specific job of answering search queries with current info, AI Mode is built to excel.

The introduction of AI Mode in Google Search has significant implications for user behaviour and how people interact with search engines:

• Fewer clicks, more instant answers: One immediate effect is a potential reduction in clicks to external websites. When the AI Mode provides a comprehensive answer on the search results page, users may feel less need to click through multiple links​. For example, if someone asks a detailed question and the AI summary fully answers it, that user might never visit the sites that provided the information. This trend began with featured snippets, but AI Mode takes it to a new level by answering much more complex queries directly. For users, this can be a time-saver – they get what they need faster. For businesses however, this could lead to a drop in website traffic and fewer on-site conversions.
• Longer, more conversational queries: Users may start phrasing their searches in a more natural language and detailed way. Instead of typing a few keywords, users might pose a full question or even multiple questions at once, knowing that the AI will parse and answer them in one go. Over time, people could grow more comfortable “talking” to search like they would to a human expert. This will naturally lead to an increased number of long-tail searches, something we’re seeing throughout AI search and which should be incorporated into your SEO strategy.
• Continued need for traditional search: It’s worth noting that not every search will use AI Mode. Simpler or navigational queries (like “Facebook login” or “weather tomorrow”) might still be served best by a quick snippet or a link. Google has signalled that if the AI isn’t confident, it will fall back to regular results. Users will likely learn when AI Mode is most helpful (e.g., when answering “big” questions) versus when it’s not necessary. Also, some users might not trust the AI answer fully and will click sources to verify or see more. So while behaviour is shifting, it’s not a complete replacement of all search habits – rather, it adds a new mode for certain kinds of informational needs.

Mobile and voice implications: As search becomes more conversational, voice search is likely to become much more popular. AI Mode’s development might bleed into how Google Assistant or mobile voice queries are answered (more conversationally, with summarised info). If AI Mode makes it easier to get a direct answer, people might be more inclined to ask their phones a question out loud and trust the spoken response.

In summary, AI Mode is changing search behavior by making search more of a dialogue and less of a directory. It is important that we place additional focus on conversational search within SEO, and that we optimise content for voice search, long-tail keywords, and individual entities – but we need to do so whilst making sure we don’t ignore traditional search. Google may have seen a large drop in their market share in recent months thanks to the introduction of other AI powered search tools, but they may just start pulling that traffic back thanks to the launch of AI Mode. We’ll keep an eye on these developments, and will let you know when Google AI Mode is ready for the general public.

In the meantime, if you’re concerned about search performance in this new era of AI and would like to make sure your website is optimised for AI search, give us a call – we would love to hear from you.