Google’s bet on AI-powered search is paying off. According to the company, AI Overviews — its feature that offers AI-generated answers at the top of search results — is now used by more than 1.5 billion users monthly across over 100 countries.
First introduced two years ago, AI Overviews compiles information from around the web to answer user questions directly on the Google Search results page. While publishers have voiced concerns about traffic loss, Google views the feature as a major opportunity to boost engagement and ad revenue. In fact, ads were introduced to AI Overviews last October, and newer experiments like “AI Mode” allow users to ask follow-up questions more conversationally, competing with services like ChatGPT search and Perplexity.
During its Q1 2025 earnings call, Google spotlighted growth across other AI-driven search features as well. Circle to Search, a tool that lets users highlight anything on their smartphone screen to search for related information, has expanded to more than 250 million devices — a significant leap from 200 million late last year. Usage of Circle to Search jumped nearly 40% quarter-over-quarter, signaling strong user adoption.
Visual search is also booming. CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that Google Lens — the company’s multimodal AI search platform — saw 5 billion more searches since October. The number of people using Lens for shopping purposes rose by over 10% during Q1.
However, Google’s AI growth comes against the backdrop of mounting legal pressure. The U.S. Department of Justice is pushing the tech giant to divest Chrome after finding Google maintains an illegal online search monopoly. Additionally, a federal judge ruled that Google also holds an adtech monopoly, raising the prospect of significant structural changes.
Despite regulatory challenges, Google appears to be doubling down on AI in search, banking on features like AI Overviews, AI Mode, Circle to Search, and Google Lens to redefine how users interact with its platform — and how it monetizes those interactions.
