Google Expands AI Mode With Multimodal Search via Gemini & Lens
Google expands AI Mode access and introduces multimodal search with Gemini and Lens, enhancing visual queries with contextual, image-based results.
image for illustrative purpose
Google has started rolling out its AI Mode feature to a broader set of Labs users in the United States, widening access beyond the initial group of Google One AI Premium subscribers. The expansion follows substantial early feedback from users and marks a significant update to Google Search.
As part of the rollout, the company announced a new multimodal search upgrade that integrates Google Lens with its custom Gemini AI model. The enhancement allows users to upload or capture an image and ask questions related to it, receiving contextual responses with additional links for further information.
Unlike traditional visual searches, the new Google AI Mode Multimodal Search Update analyzes images in full context, considering factors such as object layout, shapes, textures, and relationships. Leveraging Lens technology, it identifies items within the image and uses a process called "query fan-out" to perform simultaneous searches for richer insights.
Google highlighted that the system produces more comprehensive responses compared to standard search by combining image recognition with contextual understanding. The company believes this will help users interpret visual content more effectively and make better decisions.
In an illustrative use case, Google demonstrated how AI Mode scanned a bookshelf image, identified individual book titles, and ran relevant searches to recommend similar reads. The feature provided a list of suggestions with direct links for more information and purchasing. Users can continue the interaction by posing follow-up questions.
The tech firm had initially introduced AI Mode on March 25 for a limited user base. According to its blog post, feedback emphasized its intuitive design, quick replies, and ability to process detailed questions.
Google stated that the length of queries in AI Mode typically doubles those seen in traditional Google Search. Users are reportedly using the tool for open-ended queries involving product evaluations, instructional content, and travel advice.
