Latest news with #Budaraju
Mint
09-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Google launches ‘AI Mode' Search in India: Here's what it means, features, how to use it and more…
Google and parent company Alphabet's CEO Sundar Pichai announced that they are launching 'AI Mode' in Search for all English language users in India, with expansion for other languages expected in time. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sundar Pichai wrote, 'After an incredible response in Labs, we're starting to roll out AI Mode in Search to everyone in India (English to start). It's a total reimagining of Search, and we're excited for even more people to use it. (sic)' So, what does AI Mode for Google Search mean? What features do users in India get from the tool? In a blog post, Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management at Search said the tool works 'in diverse ways', provides 'comprehensive response with helpful links', and helps users 'dig deeper with follow-up questions'. 'We're excited to begin rolling out AI Mode to everyone in India, making it easier than ever to ask Google anything you're curious about, get a helpful AI-powered response, and explore topics more deeply on the web,' Budaraju said in the post titled 'AI Mode in Google Search Rolling Out in India'. She added that AI Mode was first introduced in June, as an experiment in Labs and recieved 'encouraging' responses. '… people appreciating its speed and the quality of the responses. We've seen users putting it to work in diverse ways—from diving deep into topics for learning to understanding complex how-tos,' she stated. According to Budaraju, AI Mode will be rolled out to all Google Search users in India with Labs — no sign-up required. In the coming days, Search users (English for now) will see a new tab for AI Mode in Search and in the search bar in the Google app. All features from the Labs launch will be available: type, use your voice, snap a photo with Lens. The tool provides 'a rich, comprehensive response with helpful links', and allows users to 'dig deeper with follow-up questions', she added. You can also try it out on Search Labs here: Google has also posted on video of the tool on its official YouTube page, outlining features and user benefits from AI Mode in Search, calling it 'most powerful AI search' and 'built for your most complex questions'.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'We want to make Search so effortless you can ask anything,' as AI Mode launches in India, Google explains how it moves beyond traditional search
In India, where Google is practically a verb and the gateway to the internet for hundreds of millions, AI Mode is now making its way to users. Tucked inside the familiar Google interface, the feature greets queries with something more conversational and curated than the usual blue links. Ask it where to eat, what to do, or even how to feel about a new trend, and the chatbot-style AI will serve up a smartly written response, often complete with links, summaries, and context. 'We want to make Search so effortless you can ask anything,' says Hema Budaraju , VP of Product Management at Google Search . So, with AI Mode baked into Search, Google doesn't just want to point you to the internet, it wants to 'Google' it for you, something we've all been doing ourselves for the past two decades. 'It should feel natural to get help from Search with complex needs or vague queries. AI Mode allows that shift,' Budaraju adds. A smarter search that asks, then answers Having been in beta testing under Search Labs for the past two weeks in India, AI Mode is now rolling out to every Google Search user in the country. That means anyone who uses Google can now do back-and-forth conversational searches with AI Mode. Budaraju says it's more than a "new feature," she's pitching it as Search's evolution to meet users' needs. This makes India the first international market outside of the US to get the feature, and is one of the largest rollouts of Search's AI features globally, according to Budaraju. "India plays a key role in helping us understand what works across diverse use cases," she says. "We're learning so much from Indian users." Unlike AI Overviews, which automatically appear for certain searches, AI Mode lives in a separate tab from the main search interface. While some queries prompt AI Overviews without any action from users, AI Mode requires a deliberate choice. If you want to have a conversation with Google, you need to navigate to the "AI Mode" tab yourself. At least, that's how it works for now. The technology behind this conversational search is more sophisticated than traditional search. AI Mode uses query fan-out, 'breaking down your question into subtopics and issuing a multitude of queries simultaneously on your behalf,' Budaraju explains. Under the hood, it's powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5, Google's most advanced AI model. When you ask a complex question, the system runs dozens of searches simultaneously before assembling a comprehensive answer. Instead of users having to refine their searches multiple times to get the right answer, AI Mode handles that process automatically. "This enables Search to dive deeper into the web than a traditional search on Google," Budaraju says, "helping you discover even more of what the web has to offer and find incredible, hyper-relevant content that matches your question." The result is that users can ask complex questions in natural language and get comprehensive answers without the trial and error of traditional search. Google insists the open web still matters While traditional search remains the default for all, the question is whether this marks a new era for Search or remains an experimental overlay. Budaraju says it's foundational. "We believe AI can unlock entirely new capabilities in Search," she says, emphasising that this is not a temporary side-feature but the beginning of a long-term evolution. "We're committed to testing, learning, and improving as we go." Perhaps the biggest shift is this: we no longer see ten links and choose. We ask one question, and trust Google to choose for us. Budaraju sees it as empowerment. "Our goal is to reduce the effort, not the options. We want users to feel confident they're getting a quality answer, and that they can go deeper if they wish." She points to the query fan-out technology as evidence that AI Mode actually exposes users to more sources, not fewer. It's just that the heavy lifting happens behind the scenes. But while users enjoy quicker answers, many worry that the internet is quietly turning in on itself. Google, once the guide to the web, is now becoming its filter. The concern is particularly acute for publishers who have built their businesses around search traffic. She acknowledges these concerns but pushes back against the doomsday narrative. "This is not the first time that people have predicted the death of the web," she says, drawing parallels to previous technological shifts. "Think about the changes that came through mobile and social media, even with these, the web continues to grow significantly and rapidly." She cites a striking statistic: the number of pages published to the web has increased by 45 percent in the last two years alone. "AI Mode doesn't aim to replace the open web," Budaraju insists. "We link out to high-quality sources, and we believe that giving users context encourages exploration." She argues that the technology actually helps surface content that might otherwise be buried in search results, "a niche Substack, a specialist business," that traditional search might miss. Moreover, she claims that users who do click through from AI Mode are often more engaged. "The traffic might be smaller, but it's valuable.' Still, the worry remains: if the AI gives you all the answers, why click at all? And if no one clicks, who will write what's being summarised? For Budaraju, the answer lies in viewing this as a partnership rather than a replacement. "We hope that the publisher ecosystem sees this as something we can evolve together," she says. "Our ability to unlock latent user needs that previously didn't exist means there's potential for net new traffic to the ecosystem.' AI Mode brings familiar risks, Google brings familiar tools AI Mode isn't a departure from Google Search's founding principles, it's their natural evolution, Budaraju implies again as she did before. "The values of search are the values of AI Mode, because it is a part of Search," she explains. After more than two decades of building quality and safety systems, Google is applying the same rigorous standards to its AI-powered features. "Our top priority for search is upholding the high bar for quality," Budaraju says. This means the Google should be using the same systems that have fought spam, misinformation, and low-quality content for traditional search now protect AI Mode. But, the stakes are high. If AI misfires on a medical, legal, or ethical question, who is responsible? The concern is particularly acute in India, where AI-generated health advice or financial guidance could have serious real-world consequences for users who may not have access to alternative sources of information. Budaraju's answer is careful. "We make it clear when responses are for informational purposes only. Users are encouraged to consult professionals. Responsibility is shared between the platform and the user, and we take that seriously." She emphasises that Google has invested heavily in quality systems and safety measures, drawing on more than 20 years of experience in delivering reliable information through search. The company says it conducts extensive internal testing alongside adversarial red teaming, deliberately trying to break the system to identify weaknesses before users encounter them. It's still Search, just a different kind There's a deeper philosophical question at play: can an AI system truly embody the exploratory spirit that made Google Search transformative? Budaraju believes it can, and should. "We learn a lot from the feedback we receive, and we apply many of these lessons to the technology and features we build," she says. The goal isn't to replace human curiosity, but to amplify it, to make it easier for people to ask the kinds of complex, multi-layered questions that were previously too cumbersome to pursue. Google says that approach is working. Users are asking much longer queries in AI Mode, two to three times the length of traditional searches, indicating they're bringing their "toughest questions" to the system. It's a sign that people are already beginning to treat Search less like a keyword box, and more like a thinking partner. So where does this leave us? As AI Mode rolls out to millions of Indian users, Google isn't just tinkering with its search results, it's nudging the entire act of searching into a new format. The blue links haven't vanished, but they're no longer center stage. Instead, you get a response, a summary, a direction. You ask, it answers. Budaraju frames it as a shift, not a replacement. 'We're still focused on discovery,' she says. 'But we're also helping users express their needs more naturally, even if they don't know exactly what to ask.' It's search, just a little more attuned to how we speak, think, and wonder. And while the interface feels fresh, the fundamentals of the web are still working in the background, the citations, the sources, the open web that AI Mode is built on. Whether users will keep clicking through or be happy to stop at the AI's summary remains to be seen. That's a question of habit, curiosity, and trust, all things that don't shift overnight. But for now, AI Mode doesn't try to replace the internet as we know it. It just offers a new way to move through it. Whether this becomes the default way we all Google, or just one more tab we occasionally click into, will depend on how it fits into the questions we ask, and the ones we didn't know how to ask before. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Google brings AI Mode to India: ‘Ask anything, any way you want,' says Hema Budaraju
'Talk to AI mode like you would talk to a friend and express the nuance that you want,' said Hema Budaraju, Google's VP of product management for Search. Google has officially rolled out AI Mode in India, marking a major milestone in search technology. First launched in the US on June 25, the feature lets users ask free-form, even complex, questions in natural language. In an exclusive conversation with Budaraju explains why India is the first market outside the US to get AI Mode and what it means for the future of search. Budaraju has described AI Mode as Google's 'most powerful AI search'. The feature is now live for Indian users with no sign-up required. Budaraju offered insights on what this new experience means for the future of search and what users can expect from it. The conversation began with Budaraju offering an insightful overview of the AI Mode in Search and how it works. When asked about the search giant's decision to make India its first international market for the technology, she attributed it to the unique relationship between Indian users and the penchant for technology adoption. 'We are always excited about bringing technology to India,' Budaraju explained. 'I think the acceptance of technology, the embracing of technology, especially AI overviews, lens, multimodal maps – this is bar none when it comes to the Indian diaspora and how Indian users actually help us learn and advance these technologies forward. So for us, this is a privilege to bring AI Mode to India as the first market out of the US,' said Budaraju. The choice wasn't random, explained the executive, as Google's data reveals that Indian users have shown exceptional proficiency with multimodal search capabilities. India leads globally in Google Lens usage, with more monthly users than any other nation. This multimodal expertise made India an ideal testing ground for AI Mode's advanced capabilities. When asked about the response from Indian users, Budaraju shared that during the Labs phase, it has been overwhelmingly positive. 'People are appreciating the speed and the quality of the response and the freshness of the content that's coming back,' Budaraju shared. She pointed out that Indian users have showcased a particular appetite for complex queries. 'We're learning that people are asking really much longer questions. Open-ended topics would be an interesting one – how do you think about asking deeper, complicated subjects, getting detailed instructions, comparing different pros and cons of various products, asking it for educational needs and so on,' she said. The new AI Mode is signalling a fundamental shift in how users interact with search engines. It is built on a custom version of Gemini 2.5 and effectively addresses the persistent challenge while looking for information. 'There are still questions and tasks that feel too hard,' Budaraju said, highlighting Google's vision for making search truly effortless. It allows users to ask significantly longer and more complex questions than traditional search. 'You're finding that people use AI Mode where the length is two to three times the length of traditional searches,' Budaraju shared, indicating a dramatic shift in user behaviour. During the chat, Budaraju revealed that what sets AI Mode apart is its sophisticated 'fan-out' technique. As Budaraju explained, 'AI Mode uses fan-out techniques. This means it can break down your question into subtopics and issue a multitude of queries simultaneously on your behalf. This enables search to retrieve, go deeper into the web and bring back and discover content that is hyper-relevant and has deep diversity to help others.' This capability essentially transforms search from a simple information search tool into an intelligent assistant that is capable of reasoning and synthesis. The technology can dabble with complex, multi-layered and long questions with nuance. Earlier, such queries might have required multiple searches and hours of research. Considering the complexity of AI-generated responses, accuracy and safety remain paramount. Google, which offers an assortment of AI products, has been spearheading responsible AI. When asked how Google ensures AI Mode is safe and reliable, Budaraju emphasised, 'With any update, with any feature that we bring to search, our top priority is holding the bar for quality. AI Mode is rooted in our core search quality and safety systems, which we've been refining for more than 20 years.' The Google executive revealed that the system incorporates extensive testing protocols, including 'rigorous internal testing as well as what we call adversarial red teaming', ensuring that the AI can handle challenging scenarios while maintaining safety standards. Technology like AI Mode could likely impact publishers and content creators who rely on Google's search ecosystem. Addressing concerns about AI Mode's impact on publishers and content creators, Budaraju was clear about Google's commitment to the broader web ecosystem. 'At Google, our core mission remains connecting people with information across the web and the diversity of human perspectives,' she stated. The fan-out technique actually enables deeper web exploration than traditional search. 'With the query fan-out technique, the fact that you can enable search to dive deeper into the web than traditional search, enabling surfacing content vastly more than that which was possible before – all of this will lead to, first of all, people bringing newer questions.' With AI Mode coming to India, users are not just bracing for a feature update but will be seeing a glimpse of the future of human-computer interaction, where simply using natural language will bring information from around the world right to their fingertips. 'Ask anything, any way you want, effortlessly, and find what you're seeking,' Budaraju concluded, showing what AI Mode aims to achieve. Bijin Jose, an Assistant Editor at Indian Express Online in New Delhi, is a technology journalist with a portfolio spanning various prestigious publications. Starting as a citizen journalist with The Times of India in 2013, he transitioned through roles at India Today Digital and The Economic Times, before finding his niche at The Indian Express. With a BA in English from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, and an MA in English Literature, Bijin's expertise extends from crime reporting to cultural features. With a keen interest in closely covering developments in artificial intelligence, Bijin provides nuanced perspectives on its implications for society and beyond. ... Read More
