During the annual developers conference, Google presented a whole array of novelties (many of them based on AI) that would have been inconceivable just a couple of years ago, characteristic of a science fiction movie. From a simultaneous real-time translator to augmented reality-based functionalities, Google is redefining not only the digital sector, but also our consumption habits… and our way of life.
There were so many, so many novelties, that probably some of them have not received the attention they deserve. The case of AI Mode (or Modo IA, in Spanish) is one of them.
Because AI Mode is going to change not only the way people search and shop online. It is going to change the digital ecosystem completely.
With all the good and bad that this entails.
As Elizabeth Reid explained, the Vice President of Google, the AI Overviews or responses generated with AI, which we have talked to you about a lot in recent weeks, have been just a forerunner of what AI Mode will entail, which is available from today to all users in the United States:
“At last year’s I/O, we launched the AI-Created Views (AI Overviews) and since then, there has been a profound change in how people use Google Search. They are asking more things, and those questions are more complex, lengthy, and multimodal.
Thanks to AI in Search, you can now ask Google anything and get a helpful answer with links to websites. In fact, the AI-Created Views have been one of the most successful innovations in the search engine for the past decade.
After launching the AI-Created Views, users conveyed to us that they wanted an end-to-end AI experience in Search. That is why, earlier this year, we began testing AI Mode in Search in Labs, which, starting today, is available in the U.S. without the need to register in Labs.”
Although for now, AI Mode is launched in the United States, as has happened with other Google innovations, its global deployment seems only a matter of time.
Google is showing off their AI mode What stands out: • They take something that feels complex to their existing users (AI) and make it feel simple and approachable • Each feature is explained in a clear, visual way • They break down how it works without overwhelming you •… pic.twitter.com/Cof5f1Sgm2 — saint (@aipattern) May 20, 2025
Google is showing off their AI mode
What stands out:
• They take something that feels complex to their existing users (AI) and make it feel simple and approachable • Each feature is explained in a clear, visual way • They break down how it works without overwhelming you •… pic.twitter.com/Cof5f1Sgm2
— saint (@aipattern) May 20, 2025
One of the keys to AI Mode is its ability to break down a complex question into multiple simultaneous subqueries, allowing the user to interact more naturally with the search engine. Instead of separately searching for “best hotels Paris,” “summer clothing Paris,” or “what to eat in Paris for vegans,” you could directly write in the search bar “I am going on vacation to Paris in July, I need advice on finding accommodation, what clothes to carry, and finding places to eat adapted to my vegan style.”
And AI Mode would answer it all, step by step and in a structured manner.
As you can see in the previous video, this technique, called search branching, allows the search engine to delve much deeper into the web than traditional queries, generating broader, varied, and relevant results, “allowing you to discover and find hyper-relevant content that answers your question,” explains Google.
However, at first glance, what AI Mode is going to cause is a decreasing need for users to click on any of the (few) links offered. The answer is so broad, so detailed, that it is difficult to think that a click will occur unless it is a search with a marked commercial character, such as restaurants, local shops, hotels, etc.
Among other innovative features of AI Mode, the following stand out:
Google has reserved an array of exclusive functions to enhance the shopping experience. Among them, the following stand out:
The goal: to make the product search a smoother, more visual, AI-driven process.
Starting today in the U.S., you can try clothes on virtually in Labs. 👕 Say you see a great shirt, but you’re not sure if it’s right for you. Use our new try on tool to upload a picture of yourself and get a feel for what the product might look like on *you.* pic.twitter.com/kPgXxrncg0 — Google (@Google) May 20, 2025
Starting today in the U.S., you can try clothes on virtually in Labs. 👕
Say you see a great shirt, but you’re not sure if it’s right for you. Use our new try on tool to upload a picture of yourself and get a feel for what the product might look like on *you.* pic.twitter.com/kPgXxrncg0
— Google (@Google) May 20, 2025
Of course, Google could not stay out of the golden age of AI agents and it also integrates virtual agent functions through Project Mariner. What does this mean?
AI Mode not only finds information but can also help you complete tasks, such as buying tickets, making reservations, or even filling out forms. A clear example: if you type “Find two cheap tickets for the Unicaja game this Saturday in the lower tribune”, AI Mode searches in real time through sites like Ticketmaster or StubHub, analyzes prices and availability, and proposes the best option. All with the ability to complete the process directly.
This task-oriented approach can completely change how users interact with eCommerce and service platforms.
And now, let us move on to a speculative part: because as you will have noticed, all these novelties very seriously question the current business model of many basic players in today’s digital ecosystem, which had already seen their status quo threatened with the arrival of AI Overviews and the catastrophic impact they are having on the organic traffic that certain websites receive. Organic CTRs are plummeting and this is a vital damage for many websites that depend on the traffic they receive and, of course, the advertising they generate based on it.
AI Mode introduces a paradigm shift in user behavior: if before the query led to clicking on multiple results, now AI synthesizes and responds directly, often without needing to visit other websites. This implies, as we said, a noticeable drop in organic CTR, especially for informational and long-tail content, which will be “summarized” by AI in the search interface itself.
Moreover, there will be a loss of visibility for media not cited: although Google promises to add useful citations and links, only some sources will be referenced, and many will be left out of the AI-generated response.
In this context, it will become increasingly important to enhance the value of EEAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): AI will tend to prioritize “reliable” sources, so media will need to work on their brand authority and editorial consistency more than ever.
And even so, it may not be enough. As we said, organic traffic will drop, indeed. Betting on building loyalty with their community, offering differential content, with a unique tone, novelties, and especially other sources of traffic (direct, social) will be key.
For now, AI Mode does not natively integrate ads within the generated responses (at least publicly), but Google cannot afford to eliminate ads: its business model depends on them. We might see new ad formats embedded in or around the AI-generated content. As of now, it is still an unknown. In any case, the traditional SEM approach will fall by the wayside. If we are going to forget about results with several blue links… what space will remain for paid links?
Perhaps we will see developments within the framework of potential “task-based” contextual ads: for example, if the user asks to book a restaurant or buy tickets, sponsored partners may be highlighted as first options (similar to what already happens in Shopping or Google Flights). In any case, it seems clear that we are moving towards greater integration with services like Google Pay or Maps, which would open new avenues for transactional or geolocated ads, more “native” and less invasive.
The arrival of Google’s AI Mode implies a profound transformation in digital advertising, as the very logic of search changes: the user no longer formulates a simple query to receive a list of links, but rather interacts with an artificial intelligence that understands their context, breaks down their intention, and can even execute tasks for them. This has direct implications on how brands will need to approach search engine marketing and the design of their digital campaigns.
First, the traditional exposure model based on impressions loses relevance to a more task-oriented approach. The AI Mode user does not look for visual stimuli or generic ads, but specific solutions. Therefore, brands will have to adapt their advertising to respond to actionable requests: booking, comparing, deciding, buying. This implies an evolution towards conversational advertising, closer to an assistant than a banner, in which the content, tone, and value proposition must naturally integrate into the flow of conversation.
Additionally, there will be a shift towards transactional performance campaigns, where the return will depend on the brand’s ability to be present just when the user needs something specific. For example, if the user asks, “Where can I have dinner tonight nearby with a terrace and gluten-free?” it will not suffice to have a good Google Maps listing or a pretty website: it will be necessary that your offering matches the intention, is well-structured, and available in real time, probably connected with tools like Google Pay or Maps.
On the other hand, the boundary between SEO and paid advertising becomes blurred, as organic content will feed AI Mode responses, but positioning may be mediated by commercial agreements or service integrations. This will require brands to better coordinate their teams for content, structured data, SEM, and automation to appear in the places where AI gathers information for its responses.
Image: Google
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