• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 1, 2025

Google made several announcements today around AI Mode -- including the addition of products and place cards to the answers, a new history panel, and running limited tests without the need to opt in to Al Mode in Search Labs. The company also dropped the waitlist for those waiting to use the platform.

“Based on the incredibly positive feedback we’re getting, we’re removing the waitlist so anyone in the U.S. can now get immediate access to AI Mode in Labs — and we’re adding new features to help you get things done," Soufi Esmailzadeh, director of product management, at Google Search wrote in a blog post.

The technology will roll out during the coming week. Users will begin to see visual place and product cards in AI Mode and have the ability to tap to get more details.

AI funding has hit an all-time high, according to CB Insights Research. Deal volumes have remained steady, but funding rose 51% to 66.6 billion with the majority going to infrastructure companies like OpenAI. 

Google also added places for local businesses. For local spots like restaurants, salons and stores, users can see info like ratings, reviews, and opening hours, and if you’re looking for a product, you will see shoppable options with real-time prices, images, shipping details and local inventory.

The searches on AI Mode are made possible by Google’s up-to-date information about local businesses, and its Shopping Graph with more than 45 billion product listings from neighborhood stores worldwide.

The history panel Google added allows users to see past conversations and queries. Based on AI Mode being opt-in, the searches will likely allow Google to share data with advertisers and tap into consumer preferences for brands to target ads in the future. 

There's a new left-side panel to get view past searches. Each includes information AI Mode already retrieved, allowing the user to ask follow-up questions in future queries. 

"So many of the questions people ask are part of longer-running tasks and projects, and often they want to get back to the information they found," Esmailzadeh wrote. "We're making it easier to jump right back in on desktop. Just click the new left-side panel to get to your past searches — each topic will include the info that AI Mode already found for you, and you can ask follow-up questions or take your next steps."