Google has launched an experimental version of its search engine that completely removes the classic ten blue links, replacing them with AI-generated summaries. The feature, introduced on Wednesday, is available to Google One AI Premium subscribers and can be accessed through a new “AI Mode” tab alongside existing options like Images and Maps.
“We’ve heard from power users that they want AI responses for even more of their searches,” said Robby Stein, Google’s vice president of product, in a blog post.
The Google One AI Premium plan, which costs $19.99 per month, offers additional cloud storage along with exclusive access to AI-driven features. Google has already been displaying AI Overviews—AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results—in over 100 countries. In May 2023, the company began incorporating advertisements into these AI Overviews.
With the new AI Mode, users receive a more detailed AI-generated summary with embedded hyperlinks to source webpages. The familiar list of blue links has been replaced by a search bar for follow-up questions, allowing users to refine or expand their queries.
Google’s AI Search and Market Challenges
Google stated that AI Mode is powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.0, designed with advanced reasoning capabilities to better handle complex queries.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, generated $350 billion in revenue in 2024, primarily through search-related advertising. However, it faces increasing competition from AI-powered search alternatives, particularly from Microsoft-backed OpenAI, which integrated search capabilities into ChatGPT in October 2023.
During the Reuters NEXT conference in December, Alphabet’s investment chief Ruth Porat emphasized that integrating AI into search remains Google’s top priority.
Despite these advancements, AI-powered search has sparked legal concerns. In February, Chegg, an education technology company, sued Google, alleging that AI-generated previews were diminishing demand for original content and harming publishers’ ability to compete.
