Google enhances AI Mode in Search with image, PDF, and real-time video input features

Google has announced major updates to its AI Mode in Search ahead of the back-to-school season. New features include real-time video input, PDF and image support, Canvas planning tools, and integration with Chrome and Lens for seamless contextual learning.

Hyderabad: Google is rolling out a suite of new features for its AI Mode in Search, aimed at supporting students, parents, and educators during the back-to-school season. The updates, announced this week, bring advanced capabilities to desktop and mobile platforms, enhancing how users interact with educational and visual content.

Expanded functionality across platforms
AI Mode, already available in the Google app on Android and iOS, now supports complex queries related to images on desktop browsers. In the coming weeks, users will also be able to upload PDFs on desktop, allowing for detailed AI-assisted analysis. The platform can extract information from files and cross-reference it with reliable web sources to offer contextual answers and useful links for deeper research.

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Users can, for example, upload a psychology lecture PDF and ask AI Mode to explain or elaborate on the concepts, extending learning beyond the classroom.

Canvas feature for collaborative planning
A new Canvas tool within AI Mode enables users to build and organize projects across multiple sessions in a dynamic side panel. Whether creating a study plan, managing a travel itinerary, or preparing for a major presentation, users can initiate a Canvas by asking AI Mode and clicking the “Create Canvas” button.

The system updates in real-time based on user prompts and will soon allow uploads of class notes, syllabi, or other documents for more personalized outputs.

Initially available to participants in the AI Mode Labs experiment in the U.S., Canvas will be accessible via desktop browsers in the coming weeks.

Search Live brings real-time video interaction
Search Live, a new feature rolling out this week, integrates Project Astra’s real-time capabilities into AI Mode. It allows users to use video input to interact with AI, similar to having a live expert available to interpret visual context, explain complex ideas, and offer relevant web links.

Built into Google Lens, Search Live lets users open the Google app, tap the Live icon, and initiate a two-way conversation while pointing their camera at an object or scene. This feature is currently available to AI Mode Labs users in the U.S. on mobile.

AI Mode and Lens integrated with Chrome
Chrome users will soon see a new “Ask Google about this page” option in the browser’s address bar. This feature uses Google Lens and AI Mode to analyze on-screen content such as PDFs or website diagrams. Users can highlight parts of the page and receive an AI Overview with explanations in the side panel. Further queries can be made via the “Dive deeper” button or by selecting AI Mode from the results.

These enhancements mark Google’s continued push to blend AI with everyday search behavior, offering more interactive, contextual, and intelligent tools for learning and information discovery.