Google has expanded the availability of its AI Mode in Google Search to non-paying Google account users in the US. The AI Mode was limited to Google One AI Premium subscribers since it debuted on March 5, 2025. AI Mode brings next-generation reasoning and multimodal functionality to the search, offering expanded information without actually visiting websites. It is accessible from a button present alongside the ‘All’ tab in search results.
AI Mode is designed to handle more complex questions that require further exploration, reasoning, or comparisons. AI Mode allows users to ask follow-up questions and receive answers drawn from multiple data sources simultaneously. The tool utilizes a custom version of Google’s Gemini 2.0 AI, allowing multimodal input, including voice and text input.
To test AI Mode, users can go to the Google Search page, enter a query, and click on the AI Mode tab below the search bar. Users can also go directly to google.com/aimode. On mobile, AI Mode is available through an icon below the search bar in the Google app.
Google’s decision to introduce AI Mode to non-paying users is a part of its broader push to introduce AI capabilities to its products. It aims to enhance user experience by making search results more comprehensive and conversational. AI Mode is particularly helpful for searches that require additional exploration or logical reasoning, allowing users to ask elaborate questions and receive elaborate AI-generated answers.
The release of AI Mode to non-paying users is an experiment under Google’s Labs program. Users already signed up on the AI Mode waitlist are probably going to receive access sooner. Google aims to expand AI Mode to include visual answers, greater formatting richness, and more ways of accessing web content in the times to come.
This expansion is a huge step forward for Google in its mission to make AI-driven search more accessible. While the AI Mode is currently live in the US only, there’s no official word on when it’s getting launched worldwide. The feature is in its early public testing phase, but it has the potential to revolutionize how billions of users interact with Google Search daily.
Google’s Gemini 2.0 engine, which powers AI Mode, has also received an upgrade to enhance AI Overviews. These upgrades include faster and improved coding responses, upper-level mathematics, and multimodal queries. AI Overviews are now also displayed more frequently and no longer require users to log in, making them easier to utilize for more individuals.
The release of AI Mode and its expansion to non-paying users reflect Google’s commitment to AI technology in search. As AI Mode continues to evolve, it will play a key role in shaping the future of search and how humans engage with online information.
