Google Tests Blending AI Overviews with Conversational AI Mode in Search

Google is experimenting with a new Search option that brings AI Overviews and its AI Mode conversational interface together in one place. The change means that when users see an AI-generated snapshot at the top of their search results, they’ll also be able to dive deeper by asking follow-up questions in a chat-style interface—without switching tabs or planning ahead.

AI Mode, powered by Google’s Gemini, first launched in the U.S. in May and expanded globally in August. The feature allows users to have back-and-forth conversations about a topic, similar to ChatGPT. But until now, accessing it required users to intentionally click into the AI Mode tab before beginning their search.

Google says this split doesn’t reflect how people naturally look for information. A quick search can easily turn into a deeper exploration, and users may not know upfront whether they’ll need a simple answer or a conversation.

With this new test—rolling out globally on mobile devices—Google wants to remove that friction. Users will still see an AI Overview as the starting point, but now they’ll be able to transition smoothly into AI Mode right from the results page.

The timing comes as OpenAI shifts focus to improving its own chat experience and as Gemini continues gaining traction. Google says Gemini reached 650 million monthly users by November, while AI Overviews already serves 2 billion monthly users. Combining the two could give Gemini more visibility inside Google’s core product.

“You shouldn’t have to think about where or how to ask your question,” Google Search VP Robby Stein wrote on X. The goal, he added, is simple: “just ask whatever’s on your mind – no matter how long or complex – and find exactly what you need.”