Google has just upped the game in the world of search! With the launch of its AI Mode, users can now take a photo and instantly ask detailed questions about it, receiving intelligent, context-aware answers in seconds. This new feature makes Google Search not just smarter with text but also visually advanced, opening up a world of possibilities for image-based inquiries. This new capability makes Google Search not just text-smart but image-smart, too.

How It Works: Ask Anything About an Image

Google’s AI Mode is part of a broader experiment to enhance multimodal search. This means you’re no longer limited to just typing your queries; you can also ask questions based on images.

Example Use:

Snap a picture of your bookshelf and ask:

“If I enjoyed these, what are some similar books that are highly rated?”

Google’s AI will scan each book cover, identify them, and recommend new titles complete with links to explore more or purchase. You can also go further and ask follow-up questions like:

“I’m looking for a quick read, which one of these recommendations is the shortest?”

This interactive conversation with images sets AI Mode apart from traditional search engines.

What Powers Google AI Mode: Multimodal Magic & “Query Fan-Out”

According to Google, this feature is powered by the same multimodal capabilities behind Google Lens. The AI understands:

  • Object relationships
  • Colors, shapes, and textures
  • Scene layout and material types

Thanks to a technique called “query fan-out,” AI Mode can automatically generate and ask multiple questions in the background, giving you rich, layered responses with minimal effort.

Google AI Mode Now Accessible to Millions of Users

Originally only available to Google One AI Premium subscribers, AI Mode is now rolling out to millions of new users via Google Labs, the company’s hub for experimental tools and features. This means more users around the world can start experiencing this groundbreaking way to search just by pointing their camera.

Google AI Mode Transforms Image Search

With this move, Google directly takes on competitors like Perplexity AI and ChatGPT’s new search tool. But where Google stands out is in combining deep visual understanding with an interactive chat-like experience. It’s not just search, it’s conversational image analysis.

What This Means for Users

This feature turns your smartphone into a real-time question machine. Whether it’s identifying products, analyzing books, exploring your surroundings, or planning your next purchase, AI Mode is designed to help you see, ask and learn instantly.