Google Quietly Upgraded AI Overviews: What Gemini 3 Now Changes in Search

Google AI Overviews now powered by Gemini 3

Gemini 3 is now the default model behind AI Overviews in every market where the feature is live. Google says the switch brings the same reasoning capabilities from AI Mode directly into Search results for queries that trigger an AI Overview.

Users can now tap suggested prompts or ask follow-up questions directly from an AI Overview and continue the conversation in AI Mode. Google says the experience carries over context from the initial overview instead of starting a new search, and testing showed people prefer this more natural conversational flow.

• Gemini 3 replaces previous models as the standard system for generating AI Overviews, according to Google.
• AI Overviews remain available only in selected markets, and the Gemini 3 upgrade applies within those existing rollouts.
• When users tap a prompt under an AI Overview, Search now opens AI Mode with the overview context preserved.
• Google describes this as one continuous experience that blends AI Overviews with conversational AI Mode responses.
• Both AI Overviews and AI Mode now rely on the same underlying Gemini 3 model.

Background on AI Overviews, Gemini 3, and AI Mode

Google introduced AI Overviews as part of its Search experience after earlier experiments under the Search Generative Experience name. The feature displays an AI-generated summary for some queries at the top of results, while traditional web links and other search features continue to appear alongside these summaries.

Gemini 3 is the latest version in Google's Gemini model family, which powers several AI products across the company. Google launched Gemini 3 in November and initially used it to power AI Mode in Search, highlighting the model's reasoning strengths in earlier announcements.

AI Mode in Search provides a chat-style interface that lets people ask follow-up questions and refine tasks. Before this change, Gemini 3 powered AI Mode while AI Overviews relied on different models. The update now brings both experiences onto the same technical foundation.

Official sources and rollout information

The changes were detailed in a Google Search blog post titled "AI Mode and AI Overviews updates," attributed to Robby Stein, vice president of product for Google Search. The post explains the Gemini 3 transition and the new conversational handoff from AI Overviews into AI Mode.

Google says Gemini 3 is now the default AI Overviews model in regions where AI Overviews are already live. The rollout begins immediately, with timing and availability depending on local markets. Google did not specify additional launch dates or new markets beyond those details in the post.

• Official announcement: AI Mode and AI Overviews updates on the Google Search blog.