Google Enhances Search with New Features Amid Intensifying AI Race

Google has significantly expanded its AI-driven search experience by integrating Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Search into its flagship Google Search platform. These upgrades, revealed on July 16, are part of Google's strategic response to intensifying competition from rivals like OpenAI and Perplexity.

For Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, Gemini 2.5 Pro—a powerful multimodal large language model—can now be selected via a dropdown in the AI Mode tab of Search. Alongside it, users can access Deep Search, an advanced tool designed for more in-depth and accurate online research.

A standout feature is Google’s AI-powered business calling, which lets users request information such as pricing or availability from local businesses directly through Search. Calls are made via Google Duplex, an automated voice system that identifies itself as AI-generated. The collected information is then sent to users via text, with human agents stepping in if necessary. This tool is now available to all Google Search users.

These upgrades come as OpenAI ups the ante by launching its ChatGPT agent, a personal assistant-like AI that performs tasks like planning, shopping, analyzing data, and building presentations. It can even browse the web visually or via text and connect with third-party platforms such as Gmail or GitHub. Though impressive, many of OpenAI’s agentic features are still in early development.

Despite OpenAI and Perplexity’s growing influence, Google’s dominance in search remains solid, largely due to user trust and consistent performance. Analysts note that Google continues to be the fallback option when users are uncertain about results generated by other AI tools. Moreover, its enterprise offerings, especially through Google Cloud and Gemini models, are considered more reliable and consistent than those of competitors.

Google’s strategy appears centered on integrating AI deeply into its existing ecosystem to encourage user engagement. According to experts, the removal of ad clutter, introduction of Deep Search, and enhanced AI responsiveness will make AI Mode more appealing to both general users and enterprise clients.

One of the most promising additions is the business calling feature, which Forrester’s Nikhil Lai says is a step toward “agentic search”—where users delegate tasks to AI. Currently focused on gathering pricing info, this capability may soon evolve to include direct shopping, allowing Google to act as an intermediary in transactions, which could mark a major turning point in user behavior.

However, Google still faces key gaps, particularly in e-commerce integration. While OpenAI has partnered with Shopify and is reportedly working on an in-chat checkout system, Google has yet to roll out a native shopping function powered by its AI.

Meanwhile, French AI startup Mistral has entered the fray, introducing a deep research mode, voice model Voxtral, and multilingual reasoning to its chatbot Le Chat. These moves underscore the rapidly evolving AI landscape, where new entrants continue to push innovation.

In this fast-moving race, Google's advantage lies in trust, consistency, and scale. Its latest updates may not be revolutionary on their own, but they reinforce its commitment to evolving its search platform to meet new user expectations in the AI era.