Google Lets Users Jump From AI Overviews Into AI Mode Conversations

Google is expanding how people interact with AI-powered search results by allowing users to move directly from AI Overviews into ongoing conversations with AI Mode, its conversational search experience designed for more complex queries.

With this update, users who see an AI Overview — the AI-generated summary that appears at the top of some Google Search results — can now ask follow-up questions without starting a new search. Instead, they can seamlessly transition into AI Mode and continue exploring the topic through conversational back-and-forth.

Google also said it is making Gemini 3 the default model powering AI Overviews worldwide. According to the company, this change is meant to deliver higher-quality AI responses directly on the search results page.

The announcements reflect Google’s broader push to transform Search from an essentially static list of links into a more interactive, AI-driven experience.
“People come to Search for an incredibly wide range of questions — sometimes to find information quickly, like a sports score or the weather, where a simple result is all you need,” Robby Stein, Google Search’s vice president of product, said in a blog post. “But for complex questions or tasks where you need to explore a topic deeply, you should be able to seamlessly tap into a powerful conversational AI experience.”

Google said internal testing shows users prefer an experience that naturally flows into conversation, especially when follow-up questions can be asked while preserving context from the initial AI Overview. Allowing that continuity, the company said, makes Search more useful for deeper research and problem-solving.

The new design is intended to feel like a single, connected journey, with links that let users move from a quick summary to a more detailed conversation as needed.

These updates follow recent changes to AI Mode, including Google’s introduction of “Personal Intelligence,” which allows the feature to draw on information from services like Gmail and Google Photos to deliver more personalised responses. Google first introduced Personal Intelligence earlier this month in the Gemini app, enabling the AI assistant to tailor answers by connecting across a user’s Google ecosystem, including Gmail, Photos, Search, and YouTube history.

Google has also been expanding AI Overviews beyond Search. The company recently added AI-powered summaries to Gmail, allowing users to search their inboxes with natural language queries to get quick answers, rather than relying solely on keyword searches or opening multiple emails. That update was announced alongside the launch of Google’s new AI Inbox feature.