Alphabet’s Google has deployed more artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for its product portfolio – this time for its ubiquitous search engine.

Google’s VP, head of search, Elizabeth Reid, in a blog post revealed the tech giant is “introducing new AI features to make it easier to ask any question in Search,” including “more complex, longer and multimodal questions.”

It should be remembered that it was in June last year, when Google had said it would scale back the use of generative AI-created AI Overviews in its search results after they produced incorrect and bizarre results.

AI Mode

But a year later, and Google is now fully embracing the deployment of AI into its products.

“We launched AI Overviews last year at I/O, and since then there’s been a profound shift in how people are using Google Search,” blogged Google’s Reid. “People are coming to Google to ask more of their questions, including more complex, longer and multimodal questions.

“AI in Search is making it easier to ask Google anything and get a helpful response, with links to the web.,” she added. “That’s why AI Overviews is one of the most successful launches in Search in the past decade. As people use AI Overviews, we see they’re happier with their results, and they search more often.”

“As we’ve rolled out AI Overviews, we’ve heard from power users who want an end-to-end AI Search experience,” wrote Reid. “So earlier this year we began testing AI Mode in Search in Labs, and starting today we’re rolling out AI Mode in the US – no Labs sign-up required.”

“AI Mode is our most powerful AI search, with more advanced reasoning and multimodality, and the ability to go deeper through follow-up questions and helpful links to the web,” she wrote. “Over the coming weeks, you’ll see a new tab for AI Mode appear in Search and in the search bar in the Google app.”

Google said that AI Mode uses its query fan-out technique, breaking down a person’s question into subtopics and issuing a multitude of queries simultaneously on their behalf.

“This enables Search to dive deeper into the web than a traditional search on Google, helping you discover even more of what the web has to offer and find incredible, hyper-relevant content that matches your question,” wrote Reid.

A short video can be found here.

Deep Search

“For questions where you want an even more thorough response, we’re bringing deep research capabilities into AI Mode with Deep Search,” Reid added.

“Deep Search uses the same query fan-out technique but taken to the next level. It can issue hundreds of searches, reason across disparate pieces of information, and create an expert-level fully-cited report in just minutes, saving you hours of research.”

This week Google also unveiled it is returning to the smart glasses sector again, after France-based Kering Eyewear announced a partnership with Google “for the development of AI-powered glasses with Android XR, combining cutting-edge design, intelligent features, and human-centric technology in one device.”

Google will competing with Meta Platforms, after it famously partnered with Ray Ban for its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and it is expanding that wearable into new markets amid mostly positive reviews.