Google has launched AI Mode in Search for users in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria – introducing a new era of AI-powered search that is more intuitive, comprehensive, and helpful.
AI Mode helps users tackle complex, multi-part questions with more intuitive responses, multimodal inputs, and deeper ways to explore topics.
The company says it transforms how people interact with Search by allowing them to ask nuanced and exploratory questions that would previously require multiple searches. Powered by a custom version of Google’s latest Gemini 2.5 model, AI Mode brings advanced reasoning and context understanding to Search.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring AI Mode to our users in the region,” says Alex Okosi, MD of Google Africa. “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.”
AI Mode is especially useful for longer, more detailed queries. A key feature of AI Mode is its advanced reasoning, which uses a query fan-out technique to break down a user’s question into subtopics and simultaneously search a multitude of queries on their behalf. This allows for a deeper dive into the Web, uncovering hyper-relevant content. Furthermore, AI Mode is designed to be truly multimodal, allowing users to interact in the most natural way for them, whether through text, voice, or even images.
Simply tapping the microphone icon or uploading a photo allows users to ask questions using their voice or camera. A core principle of AI Mode is to help users find the best of the Web. The AI-powered response includes prominent links to Web sources, expanding the types of questions people can ask and opening up new opportunities for content discovery.