Google Expands AI Mode with Five New Languages
Google Expands AI Mode with Five New Languages
Google announced today that its AI-powered search experience, AI Mode, will now support five additional languages: Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese. This expansion marks a significant step toward making AI-driven search accessible to a broader global audience. Previously limited to English users during its testing phase, the feature is now poised to serve millions more.
Enhancing Global Accessibility
According to Google, AI Mode is designed to help users ask complex questions in their native languages, enabling deeper exploration of online content. Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management at Google, emphasized in a blog post that this update will allow users to interact with AI Mode more naturally. "This expansion ensures that more people can leverage AI-powered search in their preferred languages," she stated.
Competing in the AI Search Space
Launched experimentally in March for Google One AI Premium subscribers, AI Mode was developed to compete with rivals like Perplexity and OpenAI's ChatGPT. The feature utilizes a customized version of Gemini 2.5, which boasts multimodal and advanced reasoning capabilities.
In August, Google introduced smart features within AI Mode, such as restaurant bookings. Future updates are expected to include local service reservations and event ticket purchases. However, these enhancements are currently exclusive to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S., available through the "Smart Features in AI Mode" lab setting. The Ultra subscription costs $249.99 per month.
Toward Default Integration?
Users can currently access AI Mode via a dedicated tag on search results pages or a button in the search bar. Indications suggest Google may be moving toward making this AI-driven experience the default setting. Logan Kilpatrick, a product manager at Google DeepMind, hinted at this possibility in a recent post on social platform X.
Criticism and Concerns
Despite its advancements, Google's recent AI updates—including AI Mode and AI Overview—have faced backlash. Critics argue these features could reduce website traffic by providing answers directly in search results. Google has denied these claims, asserting last month that its AI tools do not negatively impact click-through rates.
Key Points:
- 🌍 Global Reach: AI Mode now supports Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese.
- 🔍 Enhanced Search: Users can ask complex questions in their native languages.
- 💡 Smart Features: Future updates may include local service bookings.
- 🚀 Competitive Edge: Targets rivals like Perplexity and ChatGPT with Gemini 2.5 integration.
- ⚠️ Controversy: Critics worry about reduced website traffic due to direct answers.
