Google rolled out two new features for AI Mode on Chrome desktop including a side-by-side browsing view and the ability to add open tabs, images, or files directly into AI Mode searches. Both features are available now in the U.S. with plans to expand to additional regions.
With side-by-side mode, Google says its goal is to make it easier to explore websites, compare details, and ask follow-up questions without losing the context of your search. For example, if you were searching for a new phone, you can click on a link to open the retailer's website alongside AI Mode and then ask specific questions like, “Does this have a 3.5mm headphone jack?” AI Mode will then use context from the page and from across the web to answer your questions.
Google wrote in a blog post:
“Our early testers loved that they didn’t have to constantly switch tabs to get help with a comprehensive article or a long video. And they found that having both Search and the web side-by-side helped them stay focused on their tasks while exploring useful web pages.”
Google also revealed a new way to search across open Chrome tabs, letting users tap a new plus menu on the New Tab page to add tabs, images, or files like PDFs directly into their AI Mode searches and mix and match multiple sources for more contextually relevant answers. For example, if you were searching for things to do while visiting Cuenca, Ecuador with kids and found a few activities that look fun, you can add those tabs to your search and ask for similar kid-friendly activities nearby.
So basically now you never have to leave Google and they can show you ads all the time!
Yes, I see the value that side-by-side mode adds for users when researching the web. However, also yes, I recognize the huge incentive for Google to create a web surfing environment where you never actually leave Google — a browsing habit that's been the bane of its existence since introducing ads to its search results in 2000!
For the past two decades, Google has slowly introduced features such as Rich Snippets, Knowledge Panels, hotel & flight results, and AI Overviews that are designed to keep you on Google longer. Side-by-side mode is essentially the culmination of that trajectory.
As a user, I'll admit, I love it. As an advocate for an open web, I have concerns.