Google is launching tests for displaying search results in Chrome through its built‑in AI mode.

Google can replace traditional links with AI search results

In the experimental version of the Chrome Canary browser, designed for developers and beta testers, a setting has appeared that by default converts a search query into AI mode. According to testers, the feature is fully functional and looks ready for public release.

How it works now
* Regular Chrome

When entering a query, the user lands on the “All” page where an AI overview with a brief description of results first appears, followed by the usual links. To switch to pure AI mode, you need to press the Tab key.

* Chrome Canary (with the setting enabled)

When the option is activated, the user immediately sees a dialog box resembling a chatbot: answers are generated by AI and are not accompanied by a list of links. This is a more “dialogic” approach to search.

Why Google is interested in AI
Google has not officially announced testing such a feature, but in 2026 at the I/O conference the company presented a new “intelligent search bar” capable of accepting video, images, files and even open Chrome tabs as input data. After that DuckDuckGo’s popularity grew, likely because users were looking for alternatives to forced AI integration.

How to enable the experiment
1. Open the address bar in Chrome Canary and type `chrome://flags`.

2. Find the option “Run search queries in AI mode”.

3. Enable it.

The feature is announced for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.

Official Google position
A company representative noted that there are currently no concrete plans to release AI search mode into a “production environment.” “It’s just a demo version. We do not plan to implement this capability in the near future,” he said.