Google’s AI Overviews feature, introduced in experimental stages two years ago, has grown to become a key part of its global search infrastructure.
Highlights
Now reaching over 1.5 billion users monthly across more than 100 countries, this AI-driven tool exemplifies Google’s ongoing shift toward machine learning-powered interactions within its search engine.
AI Overviews provides quick summaries in response to user queries—such as “What is generative AI?”—by aggregating and condensing information from across the web.
These summaries appear at the top of search results, preceding traditional web links. While this approach has prompted concerns from some content publishers over potential reductions in web traffic, Google positions the feature as part of the natural evolution of search technology.
The company has also begun monetizing the tool. In October 2024, Google introduced advertisements within AI Overviews, indicating a move toward commercial integration.
Additionally, “AI Mode,” an interactive search experience designed to handle more complex or multi-step queries, is being tested.
This conversational format is intended to offer a more dynamic search experience and reflects broader industry trends toward dialogue-based AI assistants.
Google shared performance data during its Q1 2025 earnings call, highlighting the increasing role of AI across its search ecosystem.
Notably, Circle to Search—a feature allowing users to circle on-screen content to initiate a search—has expanded to more than 250 million devices, with usage growing nearly 40% quarter-over-quarter.
Another key area of growth is Google Lens, the company’s visual search platform. Since October 2024, visual search activity via Lens has increased by 5 billion queries.
In particular, shopping-related searches using Lens grew by over 10% in Q1 2025, suggesting that visual search tools are becoming more integral to e-commerce behavior.
Key Developments
AI Overviews: Broader Reach and Usage Trends
Google’s AI Overviews now supports users across multiple languages, including English, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
The average query length within AI Overviews has doubled compared to traditional searches, suggesting a trend toward more in-depth and complex information requests.
Circle to Search: Increasing Adoption
Circle to Search is seeing rapid adoption, with availability on over 250 million devices. The tool has experienced a nearly 40% quarter-over-quarter increase in usage, indicating strong user interest in interactive search experiences.
Google Lens: Visual Search Momentum
Google Lens continues to show momentum, with a reported surge of 5 billion additional monthly visual searches since late 2024. Shopping queries via Lens grew more than 10% during Q1, reinforcing its relevance in product discovery and online shopping.
AI Mode: Introducing Conversational Search
AI Mode introduces a multimodal, conversational dimension to Google Search. Users can submit photos or images and ask detailed questions, receiving AI-generated answers that combine visual and textual understanding.
The feature is still experimental but represents a move away from static query formats.
Financial Performance and Investment Strategy
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported a 12% year-over-year increase in revenue for Q1 2025, totaling $90.2 billion.
The company attributes part of this growth to its AI initiatives, including AI Overviews and the Gemini 2.5 model. Alphabet plans to invest $75 billion in capital expenditures this year, much of it focused on AI infrastructure.
Challenges
While expanding its AI capabilities, Google continues to face regulatory scrutiny. The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the company’s position in the online search market, including considerations about the integration of its browser, Chrome.
A federal judge also ruled that Google maintains a monopoly in the adtech sector, which may lead to future structural changes.
Despite these legal developments, Google is continuing to integrate AI more deeply into its core products.
The company’s reporting on AI-related growth suggests that features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are no longer experimental—they are becoming central to its long-term strategy for search.
