Google is experimenting tests with a redesign of its Search homepage by replacing the iconic “I’m Feeling Lucky” button with a new “AI Mode” feature. This AI Mode, introduced earlier this May, offers users an interactive chatbot experience that provides AI-generated responses to queries instead of the traditional search results page. The change has been spotted by some users enrolled in Google’s experimental Labs program, where the AI Mode button sometimes appears directly in place of the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button beneath the search bar or as a colorful, attention-grabbing element adjacent to the search box.
The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, a staple of Google Search since its inception in 1998, used to take users straight to the top search result, bypassing the results page. While it was once a time-saving feature, it has become more of a nostalgic relic in recent years. Google has confirmed that this AI Mode rollout is part of multiple ongoing experiments and that no final decision has been made about permanently removing the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button.
This trial comes just ahead of Google I/O, where the company is expected to announce significant updates to its AI-powered search capabilities. The timing suggests Google is pushing to integrate AI more deeply into its core search experience, possibly as a response to competition from AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, which have been linked to a recent decline in Google searches on Safari browsers.
AI Mode builds on Google’s earlier AI Overviews feature by offering more comprehensive, conversational answers and allowing users to engage in a back-and-forth dialogue with the AI. This shift reflects a broader industry trend toward making search more interactive and conversational, reducing the need for multiple clicks and traditional search result navigation.
While the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button may disappear for some users, it remains accessible in other parts of the interface during testing. The redesign also coincides with other subtle changes to Google’s homepage, including a refreshed “G” logo with a new gradient, signaling a period of visual and functional updates for the search engine.
In summary, Google is testing replacing its beloved “I’m Feeling Lucky” button with an AI-powered search mode that offers a more conversational and interactive search experience. This move highlights Google’s strategic pivot toward AI-driven search amid growing competition and changing user expectations, though the classic button’s fate remains undecided as the experiment continues.
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