This story is from October 8, 2026. For the latest, see today's news.
In a recorded interview at Google's Imagination in Action summit, Rajan Patel, VP of Engineering for Search at Google, discusses how artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing search. The conversation covers AI Mode, AI Overviews, and Google Lens, and explores how users are asking longer, more complex questions as AI capabilities expand.
Key topics include search—systems that can help users take action on information found—and the balance between personalization and user control over personal data. Patel addresses technical challenges like injection and explains how Google evaluates content quality in an AI-driven search environment.
The discussion also weighs AI Mode against Gemini and reflects on the broader challenge of maintaining user trust as AI reshapes how the web works and how people search.
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