Google Expands AI Mode in Search to New Languages and Regions
Key Points
- Google’s AI Mode in Search moves from testing to a broad public rollout.
- The feature is now available in 40 new regions and 35 new languages.
- Supported languages include Arabic, Chinese, several European languages, Malay, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese.
- The Gemini model powers advanced reasoning and multimodal understanding across languages.
- Recent updates improve handling of visual prompts.
- Publishers report reduced traffic as users skip links after seeing AI summaries.
- Pew Research notes users are more likely to end sessions when AI Mode answers appear first.
Google is rolling out its AI Mode chatbot in Search to dozens of new regions and dozens of additional languages. The expansion follows an early‑March test in the Labs program and a May rollout to all U.S. users. New language support includes Arabic, Chinese, several European languages, Malay, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese and more, with further additions such as Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese announced in early September. Google says its custom Gemini model enables nuanced, multimodal understanding across languages, while publishers warn the AI summaries may be reducing web traffic.
Background and Early Testing
Google first previewed AI Mode in Search with a limited group of testers in its Labs program at the beginning of March. The feature, built on the company’s custom Gemini model, offers advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities that aim to understand user queries in a more nuanced way.
Rollout to the United States
Two months after the initial test, Google expanded AI Mode to every user in the United States in May. At that time the company said it would "graduate many features and capabilities from AI Mode right into the core search experience in AI Overviews" as it gathered feedback.
Expansion to New Regions and Languages
Google now reports that the dedicated AI chatbot within Search is being rolled out to 40 new regions and is available in 35 new languages. The newly supported languages include Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, German, Greek, French, Malay, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese and others. In early September the company added Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese to the roster.
Users in the newly covered regions will begin to see AI Mode responses on their Search pages and will be able to interact with the feature in their preferred language over the coming weeks.
Technical Enhancements
Google says the Gemini model’s advanced reasoning and multimodal understanding help it grasp the subtleties of local languages, reducing misunderstandings and stilted answers. A recent update also improved the system’s ability to interpret visual prompts, further expanding its capabilities.
Impact on Web Publishers
While the expansion promises richer, faster answers for users, online publishers have reported a decline in web traffic that they attribute to AI Mode summaries. A Pew Research Center study found that users are less likely to click on website links and more likely to end their browsing session when an AI Mode summary appears at the top of the results page.