Google has a New Way to Use Search

Last week, I asked Google to help me plan my daughter’s birthday party by finding a park in Oakland, Calif., with picnic tables. Google generated a list of parks, but after scouting two of them, I found there were no tables. When I told Google, it acknowledged the mistake and gave me another list — which again included one of the parks with no tables.

I tried asking Google to find an affordable carwash. It listed a service for $25, but when I arrived, the cost was actually $65. A similar issue occurred when I asked for a grocery store that sold an exotic pepper paste — Google suggested a Whole Foods that didn’t carry it.

These weren’t typical web searches. I was using Google’s new AI Mode, a tool similar to chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini, where users type in questions to get conversational answers. AI Mode will soon appear as a tab next to Google.com’s traditional search results, as it rolls out globally.

AI Mode highlights how technology is redefining online search. Traditional searches involved keywords like “most reliable car brands,” yielding a list of sites. With generative A.I., you can now ask more complex questions — like creating a chart comparing 2025 sedans — and receive direct, structured answers.

Google has already integrated A.I.-generated summaries into its search results, but AI Mode is designed for more specific, multi-layered questions. According to Google executive Robby Stein, AI Mode is ideal when users are “going back and forth trying to get something done.”

AI is becoming increasingly embedded in digital tools. Meta added Meta AI to its apps, and Microsoft incorporated A.I. into Bing and Surface computers. What makes Google’s AI Mode unique is how it pulls together data from services like Google Maps, Shopping, and Search to answer user queries.

To evaluate its usefulness, I tested AI Mode against traditional search for personal tasks such as shopping for toddler gear, preparing for a barbecue, and understanding a complex video game plot. The results varied — helpful in some cases, but not always accurate — so I recommend using it with caution.

When searching for real-world items like picnic tables, carwashes, and specialty groceries, AI Mode often fell short. For instance, it misled me on park amenities and grocery availability, while traditional Google search provided more accurate, location-verified results.

In product research, however, AI Mode showed great promise. When I asked for help comparing toddler car seats, it instantly created a table listing models from Graco and Chicco, with features and prices. Though some data needed correcting, the process was far more efficient than compiling details manually.

AI Mode also performed well in summarizing pop culture. When I asked for a recap of the complex video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it gathered information from Reddit, YouTube, and blogs to generate a clear summary. It did the same for shows like Severance and The Last of Us, offering concise overviews.

In this case, AI Mode beat traditional search. While Google.com provides plenty of links to summaries, sometimes you just want a quick, bullet-pointed recap without having to dig through multiple sources.

In conclusion, traditional search is still better for simple, location-based tasks. But AI Mode can be incredibly helpful for time-consuming activities like shopping comparisons or media recaps — just remember to verify the information. Whether AI Mode becomes the future of search will depend on user adoption, but for now, it’s a promising — if imperfect — tool.