At this year’s Google I/O, one of the standout announcements was the introduction of “AI Mode” in Search.

Until now, Google Search has been about pointing us to websites. With AI Mode, it offers direct, conversational answers, powered by Generative AI. Think of it as Google’s answer to Perplexity, but integrated right into the familiar search box.

According to Google, this is a step up from the earlier “AI Overview” we’ve seen over the last few months. More features, like automation and computer agents, are likely coming soon.

Curious to see how helpful it really is, I tried asking it a question rooted in our ecosystem:

“I’m a CEO of a tech startup in India. We’ve just raised seed funding. We’re two co-founders looking to expand. How do we attract and motivate Gen-Z engineers and designers? Any high-level advice from reputed sources?”

You can watch how Google AI Mode responded in the short video below:

The feature is now available in India, too, though it is only in a limited preview. Here is the link for accessing the same.