How AI Mode Is Changing How U.S. Users Search
A year later, let’s look at how AI Mode users are moving from keyword searches to natural-language searches.
January 31, 2024
Authors: Ranjan Roy, Madalina Merisoare, Sema Yucel
Since its launch in May 2024, AI Mode has become a new way to get more natural, conversational answers in Google Search. In this early look at U.S. users, we share how people are using AI Mode and how this experience is changing search behavior.
From Keywords to Full Questions
In the past, users typically typed short keyword phrases like “best running shoes” or “cheap flights to Tokyo.” But with AI Mode, more users are asking complete, context-rich questions and following up with additional questions in a back-and-forth format.
For example, a user might ask:
I want to train for a 10K run. What running shoes should I buy?
And then continue with:
What if I tend to overpronate?
This more natural way of asking questions shows that users are starting to use AI Mode not just as a one-off search tool, but as a search entry point for ongoing conversation.
More Complex Tasks, More Thoughtful Exploration
AI Mode is especially well suited for tasks that require comparison, planning, and step-by-step thinking. We’ve seen users use it for things like:
- Travel planning
- Product comparisons
- Learning new topics
- Everyday decision support
In these situations, AI Mode doesn’t just help people find relevant information quickly — it also organizes that information in a way that makes it easier to understand and ask follow-up questions about.
Search Is Becoming More Conversational
As users become more comfortable expressing their needs in natural language, search itself is changing too. AI Mode lets people ask questions the way they would speak to an expert: start with a big question, then narrow it down until they arrive at the answer that best fits their needs.
We’re still in the early days, but one trend is already clear: AI Mode is pushing search from something you type keywords into toward something you express intent through.