Google Just Put Gemini 3 Pro Inside Search AI Mode - Here’s What Changes

Google brings Gemini 3 to Search AI Mode

Gemini 3 Pro now powers AI Mode responses for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. Within Search, subscribers can select Gemini 3 Pro by choosing the "Thinking" option in the AI Mode model menu. According to Google, this is the first time a Gemini model has shipped to Search on its public release date.

Key details:

• Gemini 3 Pro support in AI Mode began November 18, 2025, for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.
• Users enable it through the Gemini model selector by choosing the "Thinking" label within Search's AI Mode interface.
• The rollout is currently limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers located in the United States.

Google says Gemini 3 Pro brings deeper reasoning, improved query fan-out, and new generative layouts to AI Mode. The system can arrange content as text, images, tables, and other structured elements, with layouts generated dynamically based on each query.

Background context and product capabilities

Gemini 3 is the flagship model Google is highlighting in its latest Search AI Mode update. The company describes it as providing state-of-the-art reasoning and deep multimodal understanding across text, images, and other inputs. In Search, it is designed to explain advanced concepts and handle multi-step problem solving.

With Gemini 3 in AI Mode, Google says it has re-architected what a "helpful response" looks like in Search. Instead of returning only a block of text, the system designs a custom layout for each query, deciding when to surface images, tables, or other structured elements to clarify information.

Google's announcement also highlights generative UI elements that build dynamic visuals inside AI Mode answers. When appropriate, Gemini 3 can embed small interactive tools, such as simulations or calculators, directly into responses. Demonstrations include a physics simulation for the three-body problem and a mortgage calculator that compares loan options.

AI Mode answers generated with Gemini 3 include prominent links to web content used during response generation. Google says it highlights what it considers high-quality sources so users can review original materials alongside the AI-generated summary.

Roadmap and official statements

Robby Stein, VP and GM of Google Search, wrote on X on November 18, 2025, that Gemini 3 is Google's "most intelligent model" and confirmed its arrival in Search beginning with AI Mode. He also noted that this is the first time Google has shipped a new Gemini model in Search on day one.

In follow-up posts, Stein said Gemini 3 is "making Search smarter" by redefining how helpful responses are constructed. He explains that new generative UI capabilities let Gemini 3 dynamically create the overall response layout for each query, with layout decisions happening automatically whenever AI Mode generates an answer.

In a subsequent update, Stein continues with details on automatic model routing. Search will soon send difficult questions in AI Mode to Google's frontier model, while faster models continue to handle simpler tasks. The same routing approach will apply to AI Overviews.

Separately, Stein adds that Gemini 3 improves Search's query fan-out process, allowing Search to perform more, and smarter, related searches in parallel and better interpret user intent.

Google says Gemini 3 in AI Mode will expand beyond subscribers to all U.S. Search users soon. The company plans higher AI Mode usage limits for Google AI Pro and Ultra customers during the rollout and indicates it will refine these features over time based on user feedback.