Google AI Mode
Also called: AI Mode
Definition
AI Mode is a way of searching on Google where the results page gives way to an answer written by a Gemini model, and to a conversation. Launched in the United States in 2025, it lets you ask long questions and keep following up.
To answer, AI Mode splits the question into several sub-searches run in parallel: this is what Google calls query fan-out. According to the Semrush AI Visibility Index 2026, it's the platform that names the most brands per answer, 5.2 on average, with a big place for YouTube, Reddit and local sources.
Example
Asked for “a quiet Italian restaurant in Boston for a business dinner on Tuesday night”, AI Mode runs searches on restaurants, reviews and opening hours, then writes an annotated shortlist.
What it means for your AI visibility
More brands per answer means more spots to win. But its sources aren't those of AI Overviews, even though both come from Google: you need to track them separately.
Related terms
- Google AI OverviewsAI Overviews are the AI-generated summaries Google shows at the top of its search results, with links to their sources.
- Query fan-outQuery fan-out is the technique a generative engine uses to split a question into several searches run in parallel.
- GeminiGemini is Google's family of AI models, and the conversational assistant of the same name, which replaced Bard in 2024.
- Conversational searchConversational search replaces keywords with full questions, put to an AI in natural language, with follow-ups.
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