NAIROBI, Kenya– Google has rolled out a new artificial intelligence-powered feature, AI Mode in Search, across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, marking a major shift in how users interact with its search engine.
The feature, powered by a customized version of Google’s latest Gemini 2.5 model, is designed to handle complex, multi-part questions, provide more intuitive responses, and support multimodal interactions, including voice and image-based queries.
Unlike traditional search, AI Mode allows users to ask detailed, exploratory questions that previously required multiple searches.
The system uses a “query fan-out” technique to break down questions into subtopics and simultaneously search across the web, surfacing highly relevant content.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring AI Mode to our users in the region,” said Alex Okosi, Managing Director, Google Africa.
“We know that people in this region are curious and have complex questions about everything from planning a trip to understanding a new concept. With AI Mode, we are reimagining the Search experience.”
A standout element of AI Mode is its multimodal capability, enabling users to input queries through text, voice, or images.
By tapping the microphone icon or uploading a photo, users can receive contextually rich results enhanced with links to external sources.
The company emphasized that AI Mode will not replace traditional search results entirely.
In instances where the system lacks confidence, it will default to Google’s standard ranking systems. Importantly, links to web sources remain central to the AI-powered responses, ensuring that publishers and content creators benefit from greater visibility.
Google noted that data from its AI Overviews experiment showed users not only clicked on a broader diversity of websites but also spent more time engaging with them, suggesting AI-driven search could expand digital discovery rather than narrow it.
AI Mode is available starting today as a tab on the Search results page and within the Google app for both Android and iOS devices.
The move underscores Google’s push to integrate AI into everyday tools while maintaining its long-standing commitment to the open web.
