AI Revolutionizes Question Asking in Search

Over the years, we've been constantly rethinking Google Search, making it possible for you to ask questions in any way you like—whether you're typing it out, using your camera, or even just humming a tune.
AI has played a huge role in pushing the boundaries of what Search can do. Our Gemini model, tailored specifically for Search, has really stepped up our game in helping folks explore more of the web and the world around them. It's pretty cool to see that people who use AI Overviews end up using Search more and are happier with what they find. Plus, Google Lens is now handling nearly 20 billion visual searches every month, letting people search for things they see with their camera or on their screen.
Today, we're rolling out some of our biggest Search updates yet, using AI to really expand how Google can help you out, from finding exactly what you need to satisfying any random curiosity that pops into your head.
New ways to search what you see (and hear)
We started the visual search revolution with Lens a while back, and we've been tweaking it ever since with the latest AI tech. Earlier this year, we threw generative AI into the mix with Lens, so now you can just point your camera, ask a question, and get an AI Overview with all the info you need, plus links to dive deeper. People are loving it, and it's actually boosted overall Lens usage as they come back with more and trickier questions.
Lens queries are now one of the fastest growing types of searches, and it's the younger crowd (ages 18-24) who are really into it. Now, we're adding even more features to Lens to make searching the world around you a breeze.
Video understanding in Lens
We gave you a sneak peek of our video understanding capabilities at I/O, and now you can use Lens to search by recording a video and asking questions about the moving stuff you see. Imagine you're at the aquarium and you're curious about some fish swimming around. Just open Lens in the Google app, hold down the shutter button to record, and ask out loud, like, "why are they swimming together?" Our tech will figure out the video and your question to give you an AI Overview, along with some handy resources from the web.
This feature is rolling out globally in the Google app (Android and iOS) for Search Labs users in the “AI Overviews and more” experiment, and it works with English queries.
Voice questions in Lens
You can now ask questions with your voice whenever you snap a photo with Lens. Just point your camera, hold the shutter button, and ask whatever's on your mind—like you're pointing at something and asking a friend about it. Voice input for Lens is now available worldwide in the Google app for Android and iOS, for English queries.
Lens updates to help you shop what you see
------------------------------------------
We're also making it easier to shop for things you see around you with Lens. For a while now, you've been able to use Lens to find similar products from different retailers online. But starting this week, the results page is getting a major upgrade, showing you key details about the product you're eyeing, like reviews, prices from various sellers, and where to buy it.
Say you see a cool backpack at the airport and want to get one for yourself. Just snap a pic, and Lens will use our advanced AI and Google's Shopping Graph—which has info on over 45 billion products—to pinpoint the exact item. So you can learn more about anything that catches your eye and start shopping right then and there.
A new way to identify the songs you hear
----------------------------------------
Whether you're watching a video on social media, streaming a movie, or browsing a website, our latest Circle to Search update lets you instantly search for songs you hear without needing to switch apps. And we're expanding Circle to Search to more users with our latest Android update—it's now on over 150 million Android devices.
Your search results page, organized with AI
Earlier this year, we showed how AI can help you explore a wider range of web results for those open-ended questions—like if you're looking for a vegetarian appetizer for a dinner party.
This week, we're launching AI-organized search results pages in the U.S., starting with recipes and meal ideas on mobile. You'll get a full-page experience with results tailored just for you. You can easily check out content and perspectives from all over the web, including articles, videos, forums, and more—all in one spot.
From our tests, people have found these AI-organized search results pages pretty useful. And with AI organizing things, we're bringing more diverse content and sites to the forefront, giving more content a chance to be discovered.
More connections to the best of the web
We know you often want to go straight to the source for your answers. With AI in Search, we're all about helping you find content and perspectives from a wide range of sources across the web.
We've been trying out a new design for AI Overviews that includes clear links to supporting webpages right in the text of the AI Overview. Our tests show that this new setup has actually increased traffic to these websites compared to the old design, and people find it easier to visit sites that catch their interest. Based on this good feedback, we're rolling out this feature globally to all countries where AI Overviews are available.
Plus, as we mentioned at Google Marketing Live, we've been carefully testing ads in AI Overviews for relevant searches. People seem to like seeing ads right in the AI Overviews because it helps them quickly connect with businesses, products, and services that match their search. After getting positive feedback, we're starting to show ads in AI Overviews in the U.S. for relevant searches, so we can keep connecting people with helpful products and brands. You can read more about it here.
Whether you're searching with text, audio, voice, or images, we've always been about expanding the types of questions you can ask on Google. With AI, we're continuing to rethink how Search can get you the info you need—fast—and we're excited to bring these experiences to more people around the world.
Related article
Stripe to Acquire OpenRouter as AI Model Routing Gains Momentum
Stripe has agreed to acquire OpenRouter, an AI model-routing platform that gives developers access to hundreds of models through a single interface. The deal adds model selection and routing to Stripe’s existing work around AI usage and token-based b
Google AI Overviews Gain Ground in Search Results
According to Similarweb’s 2026 Generative AI Landscape report, Google’s AI-generated summaries appeared in 43% of US searches, a significant rise from 15% recorded a year prior.While AI Overviews present generated summaries within standard search res
Sequoia-backed Empirik raises $21M to forecast outages before they strike
Before joining Sequoia Capital in 2020 as chief digital and information officer, Avon Puri spent over a decade running infrastructure at Rubrik and VMware. Three years ago, as large language models began showing their true potential, Puri, alongside
Related Special Topic Recommendations
Comments (28)
0/500
This AI-powered search sounds like a game-changer! I love how I can just hum a tune or snap a pic to find answers. Google’s really stepping up their game with Gemini. Can’t wait to try it out! 😎
Wow, AI letting us hum a tune to search is wild! 🤯 Feels like Google’s turning into a mind-reader. Can’t wait to see what’s next, but kinda spooky how smart it’s getting.
This AI search stuff is wild! I love how I can just hum a tune and find what I need—feels like magic. But, like, is Google gonna know too much about me now? 😅
AI has really changed how I search for things! It's cool to just hum a tune and get results, but sometimes the AI gets it wrong. It's a fun feature, but I wish it was more accurate. 🤔

Over the years, we've been constantly rethinking Google Search, making it possible for you to ask questions in any way you like—whether you're typing it out, using your camera, or even just humming a tune.
AI has played a huge role in pushing the boundaries of what Search can do. Our Gemini model, tailored specifically for Search, has really stepped up our game in helping folks explore more of the web and the world around them. It's pretty cool to see that people who use AI Overviews end up using Search more and are happier with what they find. Plus, Google Lens is now handling nearly 20 billion visual searches every month, letting people search for things they see with their camera or on their screen.
Today, we're rolling out some of our biggest Search updates yet, using AI to really expand how Google can help you out, from finding exactly what you need to satisfying any random curiosity that pops into your head.
New ways to search what you see (and hear)
We started the visual search revolution with Lens a while back, and we've been tweaking it ever since with the latest AI tech. Earlier this year, we threw generative AI into the mix with Lens, so now you can just point your camera, ask a question, and get an AI Overview with all the info you need, plus links to dive deeper. People are loving it, and it's actually boosted overall Lens usage as they come back with more and trickier questions.
Lens queries are now one of the fastest growing types of searches, and it's the younger crowd (ages 18-24) who are really into it. Now, we're adding even more features to Lens to make searching the world around you a breeze.
Video understanding in Lens
We gave you a sneak peek of our video understanding capabilities at I/O, and now you can use Lens to search by recording a video and asking questions about the moving stuff you see. Imagine you're at the aquarium and you're curious about some fish swimming around. Just open Lens in the Google app, hold down the shutter button to record, and ask out loud, like, "why are they swimming together?" Our tech will figure out the video and your question to give you an AI Overview, along with some handy resources from the web.
Voice questions in Lens
You can now ask questions with your voice whenever you snap a photo with Lens. Just point your camera, hold the shutter button, and ask whatever's on your mind—like you're pointing at something and asking a friend about it. Voice input for Lens is now available worldwide in the Google app for Android and iOS, for English queries.
We're also making it easier to shop for things you see around you with Lens. For a while now, you've been able to use Lens to find similar products from different retailers online. But starting this week, the results page is getting a major upgrade, showing you key details about the product you're eyeing, like reviews, prices from various sellers, and where to buy it.
Say you see a cool backpack at the airport and want to get one for yourself. Just snap a pic, and Lens will use our advanced AI and Google's Shopping Graph—which has info on over 45 billion products—to pinpoint the exact item. So you can learn more about anything that catches your eye and start shopping right then and there.
Whether you're watching a video on social media, streaming a movie, or browsing a website, our latest Circle to Search update lets you instantly search for songs you hear without needing to switch apps. And we're expanding Circle to Search to more users with our latest Android update—it's now on over 150 million Android devices.
Your search results page, organized with AI
Earlier this year, we showed how AI can help you explore a wider range of web results for those open-ended questions—like if you're looking for a vegetarian appetizer for a dinner party.
This week, we're launching AI-organized search results pages in the U.S., starting with recipes and meal ideas on mobile. You'll get a full-page experience with results tailored just for you. You can easily check out content and perspectives from all over the web, including articles, videos, forums, and more—all in one spot.
More connections to the best of the web
We know you often want to go straight to the source for your answers. With AI in Search, we're all about helping you find content and perspectives from a wide range of sources across the web.
We've been trying out a new design for AI Overviews that includes clear links to supporting webpages right in the text of the AI Overview. Our tests show that this new setup has actually increased traffic to these websites compared to the old design, and people find it easier to visit sites that catch their interest. Based on this good feedback, we're rolling out this feature globally to all countries where AI Overviews are available.
Plus, as we mentioned at Google Marketing Live, we've been carefully testing ads in AI Overviews for relevant searches. People seem to like seeing ads right in the AI Overviews because it helps them quickly connect with businesses, products, and services that match their search. After getting positive feedback, we're starting to show ads in AI Overviews in the U.S. for relevant searches, so we can keep connecting people with helpful products and brands. You can read more about it here.
Whether you're searching with text, audio, voice, or images, we've always been about expanding the types of questions you can ask on Google. With AI, we're continuing to rethink how Search can get you the info you need—fast—and we're excited to bring these experiences to more people around the world.
Stripe to Acquire OpenRouter as AI Model Routing Gains Momentum
Stripe has agreed to acquire OpenRouter, an AI model-routing platform that gives developers access to hundreds of models through a single interface. The deal adds model selection and routing to Stripe’s existing work around AI usage and token-based b
Google AI Overviews Gain Ground in Search Results
According to Similarweb’s 2026 Generative AI Landscape report, Google’s AI-generated summaries appeared in 43% of US searches, a significant rise from 15% recorded a year prior.While AI Overviews present generated summaries within standard search res
Sequoia-backed Empirik raises $21M to forecast outages before they strike
Before joining Sequoia Capital in 2020 as chief digital and information officer, Avon Puri spent over a decade running infrastructure at Rubrik and VMware. Three years ago, as large language models began showing their true potential, Puri, alongside
This AI-powered search sounds like a game-changer! I love how I can just hum a tune or snap a pic to find answers. Google’s really stepping up their game with Gemini. Can’t wait to try it out! 😎
Wow, AI letting us hum a tune to search is wild! 🤯 Feels like Google’s turning into a mind-reader. Can’t wait to see what’s next, but kinda spooky how smart it’s getting.
This AI search stuff is wild! I love how I can just hum a tune and find what I need—feels like magic. But, like, is Google gonna know too much about me now? 😅
AI has really changed how I search for things! It's cool to just hum a tune and get results, but sometimes the AI gets it wrong. It's a fun feature, but I wish it was more accurate. 🤔





Home






