Google has launched AI Mode in Search for users in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, marking a new phase in AI-powered search technology that promises to make information retrieval more intuitive, comprehensive, and helpful.
The feature allows users to tackle complex, multi-part questions with advanced reasoning, multimodal inputs, and deeper ways to explore topics.
According to Google, AI Mode transforms how people interact with Search by enabling them to ask nuanced and exploratory questions that previously would have required multiple searches. The feature is powered by a custom version of Google’s latest Gemini 2.5 model, bringing advanced reasoning and contextual understanding to search results.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring AI Mode to our users in the region,” Managing Director Alex Okosi, Google Africa said.
“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, Google is reimagining the search experience. Users will not only find the information they need more easily but will also be empowered to explore a wider range of content from across the web,” he added.
AI Mode is particularly useful for longer, more detailed queries. A key feature of the system is its advanced reasoning, which employs a query fan-out technique to break down a user’s question into subtopics and simultaneously search multiple queries on their behalf. This approach allows for a deeper dive into the web, uncovering hyper-relevant content that may otherwise be missed.
In addition, AI Mode is designed to be fully multimodal, enabling users to interact with Search in the way that suits them best, whether through text, voice, or images. Users can simply tap the microphone icon or upload a photo to ask questions using their voice or camera. The AI-powered responses provide prominent links to web sources, ensuring that users can explore the best content available on the open web.
Google has emphasised that AI Mode aligns with its commitment to supporting the open web and maintaining high-quality search standards. Data from AI Overviews shows that AI-powered results lead users to visit a greater diversity of websites and spend more time engaging with them. While AI Mode aims to provide reliable AI-generated responses, the system defaults to a set of traditional web search results in cases where confidence is low.
AI Mode will appear as a tab on the search results page as well as within the Google app for both Android and iOS, beginning its rollout today. By introducing this feature, Google seeks to provide users in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa with a more powerful and intuitive search experience, enabling them to ask complex questions, explore topics in depth, and access a wider range of online content more efficiently.
With AI Mode, Google continues to expand the role of artificial intelligence in everyday information access, combining advanced reasoning capabilities with multimodal inputs to enhance user engagement and exploration across the web.
