Summary
- Google has added several new features to its AI Overviews and AI Mode search tools.
- Most of the features focus on bringing source links to the forefront, while others offer additional insights or further reading.
- These features are rolling out now.
Google’s AI search features have been more than a little controversial, but they’re also rather useful — as long as you check your sources. On May 6, Google announced several improvements to AI Overviews and AI Mode that should make the tools even better.
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What’s new in AI search?
Google has announced five new features for AI Overview and AI Mode.
Further Exploration links
You’ll now see suggestions for further reading at the end of AI responses, in a section called Further Exploration. Links can include “unique articles or in-depth analyses on different facets of your topic.” In Google’s example, if you search for info on how cities are adding more green space, you might get related case studies or reports from architects.
Highlighting news sources you’re subscribed to
Credit: Google
You know how you can hover over links in Google’s AI Mode or Overview, and it’ll show a little preview? That preview will now show a Subscribed checkmark if the link is to a source you subscribe to (provided the publication is linked to your Google account). The label also shows up in the source list off to the side. This lets you quickly see at a glance if the source is familiar to you (presumably, you’d trust any sources you’re subscribed to).
Advice from first-hand sources
Credit: Google
This one might be a little controversial. Google will now surface “perspectives from public online discussions, social media, and other firsthand sources.” These perspectives include context on the source, such as a name or the site the opinion came from. The provided examples include links from photography sites, professional tour guides, and Reddit threads.
A Google representative pointed out that this feature is not limited to forums — it pulls firsthand perspectives from a variety of sources, including expert blogs and professional websites. They also say the title is dynamic and will change based on the specific query and response, so it won’t always be labeled Expert Advice, as it is in the image above.
More prominent links to additional resources
Google is making links to sources more prominent throughout the AI Overview and AI Mode. For example, if the text is about daily cycling mileage, you might see a link to a relevant blog post. This makes it a lot easier to see where Google is getting its information, and also makes it easier to click through and get more details.
More context for linked websites
Finally, Google is expanding how much context is shown when you hover over inline links. The little pop-up cards will now show the names of sites and the title of the page, so you can more easily determine if it’s reputable and worth clicking on (you can also use Google to search specific sites with these shortcuts).
How useful are these changes?
Some good stuff
Overall, these are solid improvements to Google’s AI search tools (though if you’re searching on your phone, you should try Samsung’s Finder instead). In particular, the greater prominence and enhanced context for source links should make it much easier to vet the info Google is providing, which is always my concern when using these tools. Further Exploration could be useful for those who like to dive deep into topics.
The first-hand insights are… interesting. The idea isn’t bad, but the big question mark here is how Google decides which sites and posts are worthy of being surfaced. To use the provided example, how do they know that the person on Reddit has any idea what they’re talking about? I’ve had these AI tools give me obviously incorrect information before, so my confidence level in whatever vetting system is in place is somewhat low.
Do you use Google’s AI search tools? Let us know your opinions on these changes in the comments below!
Update 5/6/26: We added lines in paragraph 6 and made some corrections in paragraphs 5 and 10 in response to a clarification email we received from Google. We also changed the headline to better reflect that added clarity.
