By Chinenye Anuforo
Google has launched a powerful new feature, AI Mode in Search, across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, a move set to reshape how millions of Africans find and explore information online.
The upgrade, powered by Google’s Gemini 2.5 AI model, goes beyond traditional keyword searches by handling complex, multi-part questions and generating context-rich answers. Users can now interact with Search through text, voice, or images, making it easier to plan trips, learn new concepts, or dive deeper into topics that would normally require multiple queries.
“This is about reimagining Search for our users in the region. With AI Mode, people will not only get the answers they need more easily, but they will also be able to explore a wider range of content from across the web,” said Alex Okosi, Managing Director, Google Africa.
Unlike some AI tools that limit access to sources, Google is emphasising its support for the open web. Each AI-generated overview comes with clickable links to relevant websites, helping users discover more content while ensuring publishers remain visible. If the system lacks confidence in an AI-generated response, Search will default to its traditional results.
A standout capability of AI Mode is its query fan-out technique, which breaks down a user’s question into subtopics and runs multiple searches simultaneously. This delivers deeper insights and uncovers hyper-relevant content that traditional search might miss.
The rollout begins today, with AI Mode appearing as a new tab on search results and within the Google app on both Android and iOS devices.
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