TechRadar AI Week 2025
This article is part of TechRadar's AI Week 2025. Covering the basics of artificial intelligence, we'll show you how to get the most out of ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, along with detailed features, news and the top talking points in the world of AI.
Google just launched Gemini 3, its newest and most capable AI model yet. It will change the way several Google products work, including AI mode. But if you're wondering what Google's AI Mode really is, you're not alone: a lot of people are confused.
There is a lot to criticize about traditional search and the way regular Google works, without the bells and whistles of AI. Like outdated SEO tactics, ads, and a constant battle to figure out what you're really looking for. But moving from this type of search to AI-generated answers raises its own questions. Is AI mode better or worse than normal search? We don't have a definitive answer, but understanding how Google AI Mode works can help you decide whether to use it or avoid it altogether.
Google AI: AI Overviews vs AI Mode vs Gemini
Before continuing, it's worth looking at Google's confusing terminology. There are currently three different AI terms you should know: AI Overview, AI Mode, and Gemini.
The AI overview is that brief summary that appears at the top of normal search results. But AI mode is separate. It should be opened via the AI Mode tab or by visiting google.com/ai. Completely replace traditional search results with an AI-generated page. Then there is Gemini. This is a standalone chatbot and the name of the model that powers all of Google's artificial intelligence products. Most people we've spoken to weren't aware that these are standalone tools, which doesn't really help Google market AI mode as a new way to search.
How does AI mode work?
AI mode works with a version of Gemini that has been optimized for search.
For example, it uses multi-step reasoning, which essentially breaks down complex questions into smaller parts, allowing you to better grasp nuances and better understand what you're asking. Google also claims that AI mode is less likely to hallucinate (an industry term for when AI makes things up) because it can compare your answers to Google's indexed data before presenting it to you.
There are many more technical components under the hood, the AI in Google Search explainer goes into more detail. But the important thing is to understand how these pieces come together. They place AI mode somewhere between a traditional search engine and an artificial intelligence assistant. It is not exactly a chatbot or a classic search tool. It's a hybrid that Google has designed to be more useful and more efficient than either one alone.
Is Google's AI mode good?
Whether it's “good” depends on what you want from the search. If you like searching for something and seeing a long list of links that you can then view, then AI mode probably seems too curated for you. As if the AI has already decided what you can see before you even start exploring or thinking for yourself. But if you appreciate a neatly packaged summary, it's very convenient.
Take a look at the screenshots below for a simple example. We asked “Who was Sekhmet?” and AI Mode produced a clean, well-structured page with images, titles, explanations, and direct links to their sources.
It feels like I'm giving you a simple report. Which is very similar to Perplexity. This makes sense given that Perplexity was also created for search and research. For simple queries or if you need to understand something quickly, the experience is much faster and really useful.
Google's advantage here is that it already has a huge data warehouse. A model is only as useful as the information you can use and think about it, Google has a huge index on all its products such as Maps, Shopping, Images, Videos, Reviews, News and much more.
So, for example, if you use AI mode for shopping, it will pull out key features, highlight expert opinions, compare prices, and link directly to retailers in a way that will definitely appeal to people who find online shopping overwhelming.
Of course, other AI tools can do this too. ChatGPT is surprisingly good at helping you shop. But AI mode is a good option if you still want to avoid a more chatbot-style experience and really just want the information and as little sharing as possible.
How does AI mode compare to chatbots?
This is where the distinction becomes a little clearer. Both AI Mode and Google's Perplexity function as search engines powered by artificial intelligence. While ChatGPT is designed for conversation, creativity, and broader, two-way support. Retrieves information, but only when you request it.
Ask ChatGPT “Who was Sekhmet?” and will present similar facts. But ChatGPT will tend to feel more personal, flexible, and expressive (although you can add custom instructions to personalize your ChatGPT experience). Google's AI mode is more grounded, structured, and has a more rigid design when it comes to the results it presents.
So if you want creativity, a personalized experience, or a conversation about what you're looking for that can go in many directions, use Gemini or ChatGPT. If you want a summary of the research or a clear explanation from a reliable source, AI mode is your best option.
Should you use Google AI mode?
The answer depends entirely on you and how you like to view and digest information. Of course, traditional search still tailors results and displays links based on an algorithm. But it still makes sense if you like exploring links, comparing perspectives, or discovering sources you didn't expect to find.
While AI mode is really attractive if you're short on time, overwhelmed by search results, or just want a clear snapshot of something before digging deeper. It's snappy and direct, and for many people that will be exactly what they want.
But convenience comes with trade-offs. The AI mode answers are very polished and that could erase some of the discovery that makes the Internet interesting. Many people enjoy stumbling upon a personal blog, falling down a Reddit rabbit hole, or finding a niche site they wouldn't normally look at.
You could argue that Google already tries to curb that kind of serendipitous discovery, but AI mode cancels it out entirely in favor of efficiency. And behind that efficiency is the reality that you digest and serve up content created by real people who may never get a click to your website or credit for all your hard work.
So there's a bigger concern here that goes beyond whether AI mode is good to use, but what happens if it becomes our default way of browsing the Internet. If users stop visiting original sources, editors, critics, bloggers, recipe writers and media outlets will all have a hard time moving forward. And with fewer people clicking, the diversity and depth of the entire web could be reduced.
I'm sure the AI mode is incredibly useful. But it's worth considering whether that convenience is worth it when you decide if it should be your new daily search tool.
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