Google uses its homepage Doodle to promote AI Mode, its latest AI-powered search tool

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If you opened Google on Tuesday, you might have noticed something different about the homepage. Instead of the usual Doodle that celebrates important events or people, Google used that prime spot to promote “AI Mode” — its latest AI-powered search feature.

Clicking on the animated Doodle takes users straight to AI Mode, which is Google’s chatbot-like tool designed to help answer more complex questions. It even comes with a share button, which isn’t typically part of Doodles.

A Google spokesperson clarified that this wasn’t one of their usual cultural or historical Doodles. Instead, it was “just a fun promo” to help more people discover the AI Mode feature.

AI Mode isn’t entirely new — Google started rolling it out alongside regular search results back in March. But this marks one of the company’s biggest efforts to push it front and center. It’s a clear sign that Google is trying to get more users to try its AI features, especially as competition heats up from companies like OpenAI (which makes ChatGPT), Anthropic (makers of Claude), and Perplexity AI.

So, what exactly does AI Mode do? Powered by Google’s Gemini AI model, it’s designed to handle more complicated searches — the kind where you might normally have to do multiple searches to get all the answers. You can interact with it by typing, speaking, or even uploading images. Once you ask your question, AI Mode generates a detailed, AI-powered response.

This isn’t the first time Google has tested putting AI Mode front and center. Back in May, it quietly tested replacing the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button under the search bar with the AI Mode option — a spot that usually stays untouched.

With this latest move, it’s clear Google wants more people to get comfortable using AI as part of their everyday searches.