# AI Mode will add context without abandoning links or ads

Markdown copy of https://realalpha.app/s/ai-mode-will-add-context-without-abandoning-links-or-ads/ on Real Alpha, the best minutes from long interviews with the people building AI. Cite and link the page, not this copy.

- Speaker: [Sundar Pichai](https://realalpha.app/builders/sundar-pichai/) · Sundar Pichai is CEO of Google and Alphabet. · Helped build Google Toolbar and Chrome, then led Google from 2015 and Alphabet from 2019.
- Host: [Lex Fridman](https://realalpha.app/people/lex-fridman/) · Host, Lex Fridman Podcast · Robotics and AI researcher at MIT; started the show in 2018.
- Show: Lex Fridman Podcast
- Episode: [Sundar Pichai: CEO of Google and Alphabet | Lex Fridman Podcast #471](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/), Jun 5, 2025
- Moment: 1:02:21 to 1:09:31 of the episode (7 min), playing on https://realalpha.app/s/ai-mode-will-add-context-without-abandoning-links-or-ads/; the episode from there: https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3741

## Quote

> “ads are the reason we've always taken ads seriously is we view ads as **commercial information**, but it's still information.”
> — [Sundar Pichai](https://realalpha.app/builders/sundar-pichai/) at [1:07:57](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=4077) · Lex Fridman Podcast

## Takeaways

1. AI Mode uses Search to gather context across multiple queries.
2. Links and web referrals remain core design goals.
3. Google plans to get the organic experience right before ads.

## About this segment

Sundar Pichai says AI Mode should supply context while still helping people find the web. Google plans to focus on the organic experience first, then rethink how ads fit.

From “Sundar Pichai: CEO of Google and Alphabet | Lex Fridman Podcast #471”, Jun 5, 2025. [Watch the full episode](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/)

## Transcript

Transcribed by machine (Whisper) from the episode’s audio, so a word may be off here and there.

[1:02:27](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3747) What about the decision to recently add AI mode? So Google search is the, as they say, the front page of the internet. It's like a legendary minimalist thing with 10 blue links. Like that's when people think internet, they think that page, and now you're starting to mess with that. So the AI mode, which is a separate tab, and then integrating AI in the results. I'm sure there were some battles in meetings on that one.

[1:02:57](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3777) Look, you know, in some ways, when mobile came, you know, people wanted answers to more questions. So we're kind of constantly evolving it. But you're right, this moment, you know, that evolution, because the underlying technology is becoming much more capable, you know, you can have AI give a lot of context, you know. But one of our important design goals, though, is when you come to Google search, you're going to get a lot of context, but you're going to go and find a lot of things out on the web.

[1:03:29](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3809) So that will be true in AI mode, in AI overviews, and so on. But I think to our earlier conversation, we are still giving you access to links, but think of the AI as a layer which is giving you context, summary, maybe in AI mode, you can have a dialogue with it back and forth. on your journey, right? And, but through it all, you're kind of learning what's out there in the world. So those core principles don't change, but I think AI mode allows us to push the, we have our best models there, right?

[1:04:04](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3844) Models which are using search as a deep tool, really for every query you're asking, kind of fanning out, doing multiple searches, like kind of assembling that knowledge in a way so you can go and consume what you want to, right? and that's how we think about it. I got to just listen to a bunch of Elizabeth Liz Reed describe this. Two things stood out to me that she mentioned. One thing is what you were talking about is the query fanout, which I didn't even think about before, is the powerful aspect of integrating a bunch of stuff on the web for you in one place.

[1:04:41](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3881) So yes, it provides that context so that you can decide which page to then go on to. The other really, really big thing speaks to the earlier, in terms of productivity multiply that we're talking about, that she mentioned, was language. So one of the things you don't quite understand is through AI mode, you make, for non-English speakers, you make, let's say, English language websites accessible in the reasoning process as you try to figure out what you're looking for.

[1:05:15](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3915) Of course, once you show up to a page, you can use a basic translate, but that process of figuring it out, if you empathize with a large part of the world that doesn't speak English, their web is much smaller in that original language. And so it unlocks again, unlocks that huge cognitive capacity there that we don't, you know, you take for granted here with all the bloggers and the journalists writing about AI mode. You forget that this now unlocks, um, cause Gemini is really good at translation.

[1:05:48](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3948) No, it is. I mean, the multimodality, the translation, its ability to reason, we are dramatically improving tool use. Like, as of putting that power in the flow of search, I think, look, I'm super excited. With the AI overviews, we've seen the product has gotten much better. We measured using all kinds of user metrics. It's obviously driven strong growth of the product. And, you know, we've been testing AI mode.

[1:06:22](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=3982) You know, it's now in the hands of millions of people. And the early metrics are very encouraging. So, look, I'm excited about this next chapter of search. For people who are not thinking through or aware of this. So, there's the 10 blue links with the AI overview on top that provides a nice summarization. You can expand it. And you have sources and links now embedded. I believe, at least Liz said so, I actually didn't notice it.

[1:06:47](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=4007) but there's ads in the AI overview also. I don't think there's ads in AI mode. When ads in AI mode? So now, when do you think, I mean, it's, okay. We should say that in the 90s, I remember the animated GIFs, banner GIFs that take you to some shady websites that have nothing to do with anything. AdSense revolutionized the advertisement. It's one of the greatest inventions in recent history because it allows us for free to have access to all these kinds of services.

[1:07:24](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=4044) So ads fuel a lot of really powerful services. And at its best, it's showing you relevant ads, but also very importantly, in a way that's not super annoying, in a classy way. So when do you think it's possible to add ads into AI mode? And what does that look like from a classy, non-annoying perspective? Two things. Early part of AI mode. We'll obviously focus more on the organic experience to make sure we are getting it right.

[1:07:55](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=4075) I think the fundamental value of ads are it enables access to deploy the services to billions of people. The second is ads are the reason we've always taken ads seriously is we view ads as commercial information, but it's still information. And so we bring the same quality metrics to it. I think with AI mode to our earlier conversation about, I think AI itself will help us over time figure out, you know, the best way to do it.

[1:08:25](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=4105) I think given we are giving context around everything, I think it'll give us more opportunities to also explain, okay, here's some commercial information. Like today as a podcaster, you do it at certain spots and you probably figure out what's best in your podcast. So I think there are aspects of that, but I think the underlying need of people value commercial information, businesses are trying to connect to users, all that doesn't change in an AI moment.

[1:08:57](https://realalpha.app/v/9V6tWC4CdFQ/?t=4137) But look, we will rethink it. You've seen us in YouTube now do a mixture of subscription and ads. Like, obviously, you know, we are now introducing subscription offerings across everything. And so as part of that, we can optimize the optimization point will end up being a different place as well. Do you see a trajectory in the possible future where AI mode completely replaces the 10 blue links plus AI overview?