Google is reportedly running an early test in Chrome that routes some search activity straight to its “AI Mode,” rather than first showing the standard search results experience. According to Engadget and 9to5Google, the change sends users to AI Mode by default when they perform a search in the browser, effectively bypassing the normal Search flow.
Both outlets describe the feature as an experiment and indicate it is not broadly available yet, suggesting it is limited to certain users or configurations during testing. The reports also frame the behavior as a Chrome-level change that alters what users see after initiating a search, rather than a standalone product announcement.
As with similar staged rollouts, the details of how Google decides which searches trigger the AI Mode pathway are not fully specified in the reports. The testing reportedly focuses on the user journey from the Chrome search action to AI Mode activation, with the goal of moving users to AI-generated assistance more quickly than the conventional search experience.
