Both Google and Reddit are baking AI directly into their core search boxes

The AI revolution is coming for your search bar. This week, both Google and Reddit revealed plans to integrate AI functionality directly into their main search interfaces, signaling a major shift in how we’ll soon interact with these platforms.

Google announced yesterday that it’s bringing its experimental AI Mode out of the Labs playground and into the main search experience for select US users. A small percentage of people will start seeing an AI Mode tab right next to the familiar “All,” “Images,” and “Videos” tabs in the coming weeks.

I’ve been keeping tabs on Google’s AI push for months now, and this move feels inevitable after they began experimenting with an AI mode back in March. The new AI Mode won’t just add another summary at the top of results (like those AI Overviews that many users have been trying to disable) – it’s a completely different way to search.

Instead of scrolling through links, users can chat with an AI that pulls information directly from Google’s search index. The interface looks like a typical chatbot, but with added features like a history panel for revisiting past searches and visual cards for products and places with real-time information.

But Google being Google had to pull off something shady. As noted by a user on Reddit, the placement of the AI Mode tab is where the usual “All” search tab used to be located. Google is likely betting on people using their muscle memory and clicking on AI Mode.

Not to be outdone, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman reportedly revealed during the company’s Q1 earnings call that their “Reddit Answers” chatbot will soon be integrated into the platform’s main search box. The AI-powered tool, which launched in beta last December, already has 1 million weekly active users and is now expanding beyond the US into Australia, the UK, Canada, and India.

“The most obvious way to [integrate Answers] would be into the primary search box, which could allow users to type in a full query rather than just a few keywords,” Huffman said during the call.

Reddit’s approach targets what Huffman calls “Seekers” – people who might normally type their specific question into Google with “Reddit” added to find authentic human answers. Now Reddit wants those searchers to come directly to them instead.

The timing is particularly interesting given Google’s recent rocky relationship with publishers. After spending years scraping content for AI training, Google recently claimed that news content is practically worthless for ad revenue, angering many media outlets.

Both companies see AI search as a strategic necessity. Reddit mentioned that recent Google algorithm changes caused “volatility” with their user growth last quarter, spooking investors despite strong earnings. By building their own AI search capabilities, Reddit becomes less dependent on Google’s traffic.

For users, these changes will fundamentally alter how we interact with both platforms in the coming months. The familiar list of blue links may soon be replaced by conversational AI interfaces that attempt to answer our questions directly – for better or worse.

Reddit reported revenue of $392.4 million in Q1, up 61% year-over-year, and daily active users reached 108.1 million, a 31% increase from last year. Its stock jumped in after-hours trading following the announcement.

The race to reinvent search is officially on.