Will AI Mode be active by default on Chrome? Google denies it, but a test build hints at changes

The AI Mode of Google search has been at the center of attention on several occasions, also due to the effects this search mode can have on publishers. For now, Google considers it an optional feature of the search engine, allowing users to enable it as needed to "interact" with the AI for their searches.

In the future, however, the AI Mode might become the default mode for online searches with Google, especially as it faces a drain of users to alternative search engines.

A New Test Feature

As confirmed by Windows Report, Google is testing a new flag for Chrome that, if enabled, will allow users to bypass the standard search via the search engine and go directly to AI Mode, which publishers can block.

This flag has been introduced in the latest build of Chrome Canary for desktop and is currently not available for the mobile version of the browser. The test might serve as a sort of dress rehearsal for a more extensive adoption of AI Mode, but it could also just be a simple tool for developers.

Rajan Patel, VP of Google, confirmed that there are no plans to change the default behavior of the browser, meaning that AI Mode should not become the default search mode for Google. However, introducing a flag like this could open the door to a modification of Chrome settings. In the future, indeed, users might have the option to set the default search mode with AI for the Google engine. We will know more in the coming months with the release of new test builds of Chrome.