Google Expands AI Search with Agentic Features and Global Rollout
Executive Summary
Google is enhancing its "AI Mode in Search" with new "agentic" capabilities, allowing the AI to perform multi-step tasks on behalf of the user, starting with complex restaurant reservations. This advanced feature is initially available to U.S. Google AI Ultra subscribers. The update also introduces personalized results based on user history and a new collaboration feature for sharing AI conversations, alongside a major expansion of AI Mode in English to over 180 new countries.
Key Takeaways
* Agentic Capabilities: AI Mode can now handle multi-constraint tasks, like finding restaurant reservations by searching multiple platforms (e.g., OpenTable, Resy) and linking directly to booking pages. This will expand to services and event tickets.
* Premium Feature: The new agentic experience is exclusively for Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. who opt-in through a Labs experiment.
* Personalization: For U.S. users, AI Mode now delivers tailored results for topics like dining by using context from previous searches and Maps activity.
* Collaboration: A new "Share" button allows users in the U.S. to send a link of their AI Mode session to others, who can then continue the exploration.
* Global Expansion: Access to AI Mode in English is expanding from the U.S., UK, and India to over 180 new countries and territories.
Strategic Importance
This update advances Google Search from a tool for finding information to a proactive assistant that completes tasks, creating a clear value proposition for its premium subscription tier. The simultaneous global expansion rapidly scales user exposure to Google's core generative AI search experience, solidifying its competitive position.