AI Mode was one of the highlights of Google I/O 2025, with Google showing off a few exciting AI capabilities coming to Google Search that are entirely optional. As a reminder, AI Mode is a separate tab in Google Search that you can choose to use, unlike the AI Overviews that appear at the top of Search whether you like it or not.
AI Mode is also a lot more sophisticated than AI Overviews, and probably more reliable. It’s the kind of AI experience in search some users might appreciate. Google showed off advanced Gemini support for AI Mode, a new Deep Search feature, and shopping-centric tools at I/O 2025.
Some of these features are starting to roll out to Google Search users in the US, but not all of them are free. It might sound strange to hear that you have to pay for certain Search functionality, but if you want the full AI Mode experience, you’ll need a premium Gemini subscription.
Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Mode
Gemini 2.5 Pro is Google’s best AI model. You can use it in the standalone Gemini app for all kinds of tasks. Starting this week, it’s also available in AI Mode.
Tap the AI Mode tab in Google Search, and you’ll find a dropdown menu that lets you select Google’s top model. Gemini in Search can help with questions similar to those you might ask in the standalone app. That said, the app might still be better for advanced reasoning, math, and coding tasks.
Still, there may be complex questions you ask through Search that benefit from a better AI model.
Gemini AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can access Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Mode, as long as they’ve opted into the AI Mode experiment in Labs.
Deep Search in AI Mode
We’re used to seeing deep research features in AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini, so Google is bringing a similar tool to AI Mode in Search. It’s called Deep Search, and it’s powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro.
With Deep Search, you can assign Google complex tasks, and the AI will respond after running hundreds of searches at once. It reasons through them to deliver a more detailed report than a typical search result would offer.
Deep Search is also available to paying Gemini AI Pro and Ultra users.
Calling businesses with AI Mode
Even before the days of ChatGPT and Gemini, Google let Assistant call businesses for you. In the AI era, that kind of task feels even more fitting for tools with agent-like capabilities, including Google Search.
That means the AI can act on your behalf, like calling businesses to ask questions.
Google Search will call any business you want and ask questions for you, no phone call required. In its blog post, Google used a search for pet groomers as an example.
The AI finds local businesses and offers a “Have AI check pricing” button. Tap it, and the AI will place a call. It then returns a summary and an email with everything you need to know.
It’s unclear whether businesses will enjoy talking to AI or if they’ll start using their own bots to handle a surge in calls. But Google gives businesses a way to opt out, so they aren’t overwhelmed by calls from Search (here’s the support document for that).
The AI calling feature is rolling out now to Google Search users in the US. Unlike some of the other features, AI calling is free to use, though AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will get higher usage limits.
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