Google's AI Search Mode Goes Global, Gets Smarter with Restaurant Bookings and Personalized Results

Google is significantly expanding its AI-powered Search mode, rolling it out to 180 countries and territories worldwide. This marks a major leap from its initial launch in a limited number of regions, including the US, UK, and India. While the conversational, chatbot-like interface remains currently available only in English, the global expansion brings this innovative search experience to a significantly wider audience.

This global rollout isn’t just about geographic reach; Google is also enhancing AI Mode’s capabilities with the introduction of agentic features. This exciting development allows AI Mode to perform tasks on behalf of the user, significantly improving its practical utility. The first of these agentic capabilities focuses on restaurant reservations.

For Google AI Ultra subscribers, AI Mode now acts as a sophisticated reservation assistant. Users can specify their needs—date, time, location, party size, and cuisine preference—and AI Mode will scour various online booking platforms to find suitable options. This integration leverages partnerships with major players in the restaurant reservation industry, including OpenTable, Resy, Tock, Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek, and Booksy, demonstrating Google’s commitment to comprehensive coverage and reliable results. The service presents a curated list of restaurants with available booking times, linking directly to the booking page for seamless completion of the reservation process. Subscribers can access this functionality by activating the "Agentic capabilities in AI Mode" experiment within the Labs section of their Google settings.

Beyond the new agentic features, Google is also personalizing AI Mode responses for users in the US who have opted into the AI Mode experiment. This personalization, currently limited to dining-related queries, utilizes past search history and user interactions. The system analyzes previous searches and clicks to understand user preferences, ensuring more relevant and tailored recommendations. For example, if a user frequently searches for Italian restaurants or indicates a preference for vegan cuisine, AI Mode will factor this information into its restaurant suggestions. This level of personalization significantly enhances the user experience, providing more intuitive and helpful results.

This enhancement in personalization represents a significant step towards a more intuitive and user-centric AI experience. It showcases Google’s commitment to leveraging user data responsibly to improve the accuracy and relevance of search results, transforming the way users interact with AI-powered search. The capacity of AI Mode to learn from past interactions promises a continuously evolving and improving search experience.

Furthermore, Google has introduced a “Share” button for US users, enabling them to share their AI Mode search results via a unique link. This feature promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing, allowing users to easily share their search progress with friends, family, or colleagues. The shared link provides direct access to the ongoing AI Mode conversation, allowing recipients to continue the search from where the original user left off. Importantly, Google emphasizes user control, noting that shared links can be viewed and deleted at any time, assuring users of their privacy and data management capabilities.

The combined advancements—global expansion, agentic capabilities for restaurant bookings, personalized results, and the shareable links—demonstrate Google’s ongoing commitment to improving its AI-powered search capabilities. This strategic expansion positions Google to dominate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-integrated search and solidifies its commitment to a more user-friendly and helpful search experience for users worldwide. The future of search is undeniably intertwined with AI, and Google is clearly leading the charge. The introduction of these features suggests that further advancements and integrations are likely on the horizon, making the AI search experience even more powerful and personalized.