Jakarta, INTI - Google announced a major change to Search, equipping it with several artificial intelligence (AI) features.
“Starting today, we’re upgrading Search with Gemini 3.5 Flash as the new default model in AI Mode for everyone globally,” Google said in its blog post.
“We’re also introducing the biggest upgrade to our Search box in over 25 years. Now completely reimagined with AI. This intelligent Search box puts our most powerful AI tools right at your fingertips, making it easier to ask your questions,” Google added.
Following the success of OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, Google has rushed to launch a suite of AI tools to maintain its dominance in the online search sector.
Publishers’ Challenge with Google’s AI
Google's Gemini AI app now has 900 million monthly users, double its number from last year. Its AI-powered search feature, AI Mode, is also growing in popularity, claiming one billion monthly users worldwide.
However, Google's growing AI features could pose problems for media companies and online publishers. This feature reduces the likelihood that people will click on links to external websites.
In Europe, a group of publishers filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that Google uses news content to power its AI summaries without payment.
Conclusion
Google is making a major change to its Search service, backed with Gemini 3.5 Flash-based AI features as the new default mode in AI Mode globally. Gemini now has 900 million monthly users, while AI Mode is used by approximately one billion users each month. However, this expansion of AI features has also raised concerns among media outlets and publishers, as it is perceived to reduce traffic to external sites and exploit news content without compensation.
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