Google is upgrading its AI-powered search experience with a new twist: users can now ask questions about images they’ve taken or uploaded directly into AI Mode. Its experimental, conversational version of Google Search.
The feature, which builds on Google Lens’ multimodal capabilities. Allows users to interact with their images in ways that go far beyond traditional keyword queries. With this update, AI Mode doesn’t just recognize objects. It understands the full scene, including how items relate to one another, their materials, colors, shapes, and layout.
Here’s how it works: you can upload or snap a picture and ask layered questions like, “If I liked these books, what are similar ones that are highly rated?” AI Mode will identify each book on the shelf and generate a list of personalized recommendations. Complete with links to explore or buy them.
That’s where its “query fan-out” technology comes in. A technique that enables the system to ask multiple internal questions about the image and its elements. Surfacing deeper and more contextually relevant responses than what a standard Google search might return.
Even better, users can continue the conversation. Ask a follow-up like, “Which of these is the shortest read?” and AI Mode will adjust the list based on your preference — in this case, reading time.
Previously limited to Google One AI Premium subscribers, AI Mode is now rolling out to millions more users enrolled in Labs. Google’s testbed for experimental features. The expansion was announced in a blog post Monday, alongside Google’s commitment to refining the experience and adding more functionality over time.
As competition in the AI search space heats up, Google’s move puts it squarely against rivals like Perplexity AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search. But by making AI-powered search both conversational and visual. Google is betting that a multimodal experience could redefine how we interact with information.
