Google AI Mode expands to 180 countries, adds restaurant booking

Google has expanded its AI Mode in Search to 180 countries and territories, making the AI-powered search feature available beyond the US, UK, and India.

The tool, which is currently limited to English, lets users interact with Search using a chatbot-style interface.

Google is introducing new features to AI Mode, starting with restaurant booking for Google AI Ultra subscribers.

Subscribers can now ask the AI to find restaurant reservations by specifying details like date, time, location, party size, and cuisine.

AI Mode then searches platforms such as OpenTable, Resy, and Tock to display available options and booking times.

Users can select a restaurant and reservation slot, with the AI linking directly to the booking page.

In the US, AI Mode responses are becoming more personalized for users who have opted into the Labs experiment, using previous searches and interactions to refine dining recommendations.

A new “Share” button lets US users create and send public links to their AI Mode search results.

🔗 Source: The Verge

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Google’s global AI expansion reflects competitive pressure in enterprise AI market

Google’s rapid international rollout of AI Mode comes as the company trails competitors in the broader AI adoption race.

Recent analysis shows Microsoft leads with 45% of new enterprise AI case studies, followed by AWS at 34%, while Google captures only 17% of implementations 1.

This competitive gap helps explain Google’s strategy to expand AI Mode to 180 countries simultaneously rather than the gradual rollout typical of new Google features.

The restaurant booking feature specifically targets practical, everyday use cases that could drive consumer adoption and demonstrate real-world AI value beyond simple search improvements.

By partnering with established platforms like OpenTable and Resy, Google avoids the complex task of building reservation systems from scratch while positioning itself as the intelligent layer that connects users to existing services.