In a major Google Search AI Mode update, the tech giant has rolled out four groundbreaking features—Canvas planning, image and PDF file uploads, enhanced Search Live video input, and tighter Chrome integration—making its AI-powered search experience more practical and intuitive. These upgrades arrive just in time for the back-to-school season and build on earlier enhancements like Gemini 2.5 Pro integration, sharpening Google’s competitive edge in AI-enabled search.
Canvas: Your Interactive AI Workspace
With the new Canvas in AI Mode, users can now build and refine multi-session planning documents directly within search. Whether constructing study guides, drafting travel itineraries, or organizing tasks, the “Create Canvas” button opens a dynamic side panel that saves progress across sessions. Users can ask follow-up prompts and highlight generated text to adjust content. Integration with file uploads coming soon means you’ll soon be able to add syllabi or notes to personalize your content.
Files That Talk: Images & PDFs Now Understandable
AI Mode now supports image uploads on desktop, a capability previously limited to mobile devices. More importantly, PDF upload support will debut in the coming weeks, enabling users to upload class slides or documents and query them directly within AI Mode. The system cross-references uploaded content with web sources to offer enriched, context-aware AI responses—ideal for educational use or complex document analysis.
Search Live Video: Real-Time Camera Interaction
Another exciting addition is Search Live with video input, bringing visual, interactive AI assistance to your fingertips. Powered by Project Astra and integrated with Google Lens, the feature allows users to point their phone camera at real-world objects—like textbook diagrams or scenes—and engage in live Q&A sessions with AI Mode. This update elevates visual search into an immediate, conversational tool that feels like having an expert with you in real time.
Chrome Integration: Ask Google About This Page
On desktop Chrome, Google Lens now features an “Ask Google about this page” chip in the address bar. Users can highlight a section of any webpage—diagrams, text, or images—and trigger an AI Overview. From there, a “Dive deeper” button transitions the user into full AI Mode, where follow-up questions and deeper exploration become possible, all without leaving the current page.
Why These Updates Matter
Together, these updates transform AI Mode from a question-answer assistant into a fully interactive productivity and learning partner. Here’s what sets it apart:
- True multimodality: Support for text, voice, images, PDFs, and live video enables users to interact naturally and flexibly.
- Persistent context through Canvas: Organize research and refine content over time, across different sessions.
- Educational focus: Designed with students, parents, and educators in mind—perfect for study planning, classwork review, and interactive learning.
- Seamless web exploration: Chrome integration bridges static browsing and AI Mode, reducing friction and keeping search context intact.
These advances follow Google’s broader AI strategy, now anchored by Gemini 2.5 Pro—featuring reasoning, coding skills, and Deep Think capabilities—and powered by high-capacity models like Flash and Flash-Lite.
Google’s move marks clear competition with OpenAI. Recently, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Study Mode, an education-focused feature built to encourage deep student engagement through Socratic prompts and active learning. It reflects a growing arms race over AI’s role in education. Meanwhile, Google continues to expand its search footprint: its AI Overviews now reach over 2 billion monthly users, boosting revenue and search volume—despite concerns that users may click fewer result links.
How to Try It Now
- On desktop, look for the new AI Mode button on Google’s homepage or in Chrome (with Lens installed).
- Image support is available immediately on desktop.
- PDF upload functionality is rolling out in the coming weeks for US (initially via Search Labs) and live now in India, where AI Mode is fully accessible to all English-language users aged 18+.
- Search Live with video and Canvas will appear for US labs users first, before wider release.
What Comes Next?
Looking ahead, Google promises support for additional file types (such as Google Drive documents), deeper file integration, smarter follow-ups, and AI enhancements packaged into future Gemini drops. These developments are part of a long-term roadmap aimed at making Google Search AI Mode a central hub for learning, planning, and intelligent search.
In Summary
Google’s latest update to AI Mode delivers a transformative experience—students can upload PDFs or photos, plan projects with Canvas, and interact live via video—all within Search. These features reinforce Google’s position at the cutting edge of AI search technology, seamlessly blending AI intelligence with context-aware tools to redefine how we explore and learn.
Photo Source: Google
