Google launches ‘AI Mode’ in the U.S., integrating Gemini 2.5 and XR smart glasses in a sweeping search engine overhaul aimed at AI-driven global dominance.
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| Google unveils AI-powered search upgrades including AI Mode, Gemini 2.5, smart glasses, and $250 Ultra plan, redefining the future of online search and devices. Image: CH |
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, USA — May 21, 2025:
In a sweeping move to redefine online search and user interaction, Google has launched “AI Mode” in the United States, signaling a major transformation of its core search engine. Announced at its annual developer conference, the update marks Google’s most aggressive push yet into AI-first technology, introducing a conversational interface and integrating the powerful Gemini 2.5 model directly into search.
AI Mode allows users to interact with search results more naturally—mimicking a dialogue with a digital expert. The rollout comes just 10 weeks after limited testing through Google Labs, underscoring the company's urgency to maintain dominance amid fierce competition from platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity AI.
Alongside its search overhaul, Google revealed its return to the smart glasses market with Android XR glasses, featuring built-in AI assistants and cameras. Co-designed with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, the glasses are aimed squarely at Meta’s Ray-Ban AI glasses. While Google did not announce a release date or pricing, the unveiling signals a serious investment in the future of wearable AI.
Central to Google’s strategy is the expansion of AI Overviews, which now serve 1.5 billion users each month by displaying summarized answers above traditional search results. While this has encouraged longer, more complex queries, it has also led to a 30% decline in clicks to external websites, according to SEO platform BrightEdge—raising serious concerns among publishers about declining web traffic and visibility.
Despite warnings about misinformation, bias, and the erosion of referral traffic, Google is doubling down. It currently attracts over 136 billion monthly visits, keeping it far ahead of any AI-native rival.
To expand its commercial AI offerings, Google will soon introduce a new premium “Ultra” subscription plan at $250 per month, providing users with access to exclusive AI tools and 30TB of cloud storage. This tier builds on the company’s current $20/month “Pro” plan, targeting enterprise users and digital professionals.
Google is also experimenting with features such as automated concert ticket purchasing, video-based search, AI-assisted travel bookings via Project Mariner, and deep thematic explorations, promising a more interactive, intuitive future for digital search.
Even Google's own AI models acknowledge that AI Mode is likely to centralize control over online information, subtly warning publishers of the growing risks posed to web traffic and visibility.
With this multifaceted AI expansion, Google is positioning itself not just as a search provider but as the central interface for all digital knowledge, commerce, and daily life—across devices, industries, and geographies.