Sreya Deb
A simple search in the browser throws millions of options. However, the options were still visible to users, even before pressing the Google search button. Indian users have multiple ways to use Google and ask search engines for queries. In the newly launched AI mode by Google in India on June 24th, typing into the search bar has become obsolete. Users can also enter voice prompts or upload Google photos to throw hits and AI-generated summaries. Web search is completely easy and user-friendly. Currently, AI mode is only available in the US and India, and is only available in English.
Google is also releasing ads to encourage users to take advantage of AI modes via Google mode, sharing options and other ad tactics. Recently launched AI mode icons are not available to Indian users on the homepage. Instead, users must click on the search lab icon (beaker) on their homepage. This will allow you to “participate in the AI mode experiment” on Google.
The AI mode feature is equipped with Gemini 2.5, an upgraded version of Google's core AI model. This technology distills web information into a concise and useful response. There are often useful links for further investigation. In a Google Blog post, Hema Budaraju, vice president of Product Management Lab, wrote: Budaraju's post also states that Google's research shows that audio and visual prompts and searches are extremely popular in India. In fact, many people in India use Google lenses every month more than any other country in the world.
After the success of AI overview features, “AI mode” has already been promoted by more than 10% of the usage of queries that are already displayed in the US and India (Google's biggest market), and then in 200 countries that drive 1.5 billion users per month.
Given that AI mode is still a very new feature in Google search, the company says on its website that even if AI technology cannot curate or curate the response, Google will still display a list of links and resources as usual. This is why this feature is only released as an experiment in the Search Lab, so Google can continue to improve and improve based on feedback from early users.
The new Google AI mode also has a deep search feature. This essentially works like a research assistant. Deep searches can perform extensive searches and extensive analysis to create detailed responses. To explain how deep search can help researchers, Google employs the analogy that regular Google search corresponds to finding several books in a library, but deep search capabilities are like having scientists read books and present important findings in a comprehensive report. AI mode also allows you to crunch numbers for complex datasets and create spreadsheets or graphs.
Just like AI integration in search engines, the evolution of private browsing in web browsers has been notable for decades. In the early 2000s, web browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox all introduced privacy modes in their browsers. For example, Safari Private Browing was released in 2005, with some updates to the latest version. The first version that featured private browsing on iOS was version 2.0, and now version 17.5 is released in 2024, with Google Chrome and Firefox each having their own incode mode and private browsing mode.
iOS also introduced iCloud Private Relay in 2021. It is available to iCloud subscribers and provides users with security (like VPNs) like a virtual private network.
However, for Android users, free or paid VPNs continue to be the only way to ensure private browsing. VPNs such as nordvpn and private access internet are popular among Google Chrome users. Such VPNs typically have a “no log” policy. It is considered non-negotiable when using a trusted VPN. The NO-LOGS policy ensures that the browser does not retain records of data while in use. In other words, they don't have the power to hand over to third parties.
It remains to be seen when Google releases AI modes around the world, and how users in the US and India will continue to respond to this new feature of the most second-hand search engines.
