Google rolls out AI Mode in Europe but not in France
Google has announced the rollout of its 'AI Mode' tab on its search engine in Europe, excluding France, in response to ChatGPT's popularity. The deployment, starting this Wednesday, will reach 36 countries within a week. The exclusion in France stems from regulatory hurdles related to fines for neighboring rights.
For the second time, Google is introducing an AI-enhanced evolution of its search engine in Europe, excluding France, to the relief of website publishers. The American group is launching the 'AI Mode' tab this Wednesday, effective in 36 countries within a week. Rolled out in May in the US and over 100 other countries, this mode must be activated voluntarily: a left tab on desktop, a button on mobile via Chrome.
'AI Mode' relies on Google's Gemini model, handling text, photos, videos, and sounds. It enables complex queries, like suggesting books from a photo or weekend activities in Nice. The AI performs dozens of simultaneous searches, synthesizes results in seconds, and displays a clickable list of sources on the right. Users can refine with details, such as limiting to 30 minutes from the TGV station.
Unlike 'AI Overviews,' available outside France, 'AI Mode' draws solely from internet search results, not Gemini's internal knowledge. These features aim to counter ChatGPT, visited by 4.7 million French users daily, and Perplexity. In the US, publishers report traffic drops, but Google claims improved quality traffic.
France is excluded due to regulatory obstacles: a 500 million euro fine in 2021 for failing to respect neighboring rights, and 250 million in 2024 for non-compliance with commitments. Kent Walker, Google's president of public affairs, laments this: 'It is not good for France not to benefit from the latest AI advances. Chatbots are the least important advancement; this technology is transformative for scientific research.' Google advocates for lighter European AI regulation.