Google's Gemini AI calls businesses, conducts deep research, transforming search.

Google is significantly advancing its search capabilities by integrating its next-generation multimodal AI, Gemini 2.5 Pro, into a new "AI Mode" and introducing a "Deep Search" feature for complex queries.[1][2] Alongside these enhancements, the company is rolling out an experimental AI-powered tool that can make phone calls to local businesses on a user's behalf to gather information, signaling a major push towards a more agentic and conversational search experience.[3][4][5]

The introduction of Gemini 2.5 Pro into Google's search ecosystem marks a pivotal upgrade to its AI-powered "AI Overviews," which have been rolling out globally.[6][7] This more advanced model enhances the search engine's ability to handle complex, multi-step questions with improved reasoning and multimodal capabilities, allowing it to process and understand not just text but also images, audio, and video.[8][9][10] The "AI Mode" is designed to be the primary interface for these enhanced features, offering users a more intuitive way to get comprehensive answers to their queries.[1][2] It uses a "query fan-out" technique, breaking down a complex question into multiple subtopics and running numerous searches simultaneously to synthesize a detailed, structured response with links to web sources.[7][2] This functionality is particularly aimed at users looking for in-depth exploration, comparisons, and nuanced reasoning, moving beyond simple keyword matching to a deeper contextual understanding of user intent.[11][7]

For the most complex research questions, Google has introduced "Deep Search" within AI Mode, a feature powered by the even more capable Gemini 2.5 Pro.[1][12] Deep Search takes the query fan-out technique a step further by issuing hundreds of searches and reasoning across the disparate pieces of information to create a comprehensive, fully-cited report in minutes.[2][12] This advanced research tool is designed to save users hours of manual research by delivering expert-level insights.[2] The development of Deep Search reflects a broader industry trend toward AI assistants that can perform autonomous, multi-step research on a user's behalf.[13] Initially available to Google AI subscribers through Search Labs, Deep Search represents the frontier of Google's AI capabilities and offers a glimpse into the future of information retrieval.[1][12]

In a significant move toward creating an AI that can act on a user's behalf in the real world, Google has launched an experimental feature called "Ask For Me."[3][4][5][14] This tool, accessible through Search Labs in the United States, uses Google's AI to call local businesses directly to inquire about things like service availability and pricing.[3][14] The initial rollout focuses on specific service categories, such as auto repair shops and nail salons.[3][15] When a user makes a query for a service like an "oil change near me," they can opt for the AI to make the calls and summarize the findings.[3][14] The system, which builds on Google's Duplex technology, announces that it is an automated call from Google and then proceeds with the inquiry.[5][14] This feature aims to streamline the process of comparing local services, saving users the time and effort of calling multiple businesses individually.[3][4][14]

The implications of these new AI integrations are substantial for the search industry and for how users interact with information and local businesses. The move towards more powerful, multimodal AI like Gemini 2.5 Pro in search is set to make information retrieval more conversational and context-aware.[8][9][10] Features like AI Mode and Deep Search are designed to provide more comprehensive and synthesized answers, which could change how users formulate queries and what they expect from a search engine.[11][7][2] Meanwhile, the "Ask For Me" feature represents a tangible step towards AI agents that can perform tasks in the physical world, bridging the gap between online search and real-world action.[5][14] While these advancements promise a more efficient and powerful search experience, they also raise questions about the future of website traffic, as more complex queries may be answered directly on the search results page, and about the evolving relationship between users, AI assistants, and local businesses.