Google just made search feel like magic

In 1992, Neal Stephenson imagined the Metaverse in Snow Crash.

Avatars. Virtual worlds. VR goggles.

Mark Zuckerberg was 8.

The future was written in fiction decades before Silicon Valley caught up.

In today’s post:

• Google AI mode: Talk to images

• AI search shift (a betrayal for website makers)

• Trending AI tools + Giveaway

What’s Trending Today

Google

Talk to images with the new feature…

Most of the time, we stare at photos and think, “Cool.” But what if that same photo could think back?

• Google just rolled out a wild upgrade to “AI Mode”—their experimental search feature that’s now officially playing in the big leagues.

• The new trick? You can now ask questions about images you upload or snap on the spot. Not just “what is this?” but layered, thoughtful questions like: “I liked these books, what else might I enjoy?”

• It works because of something fancy called “multimodal search,” powered by Google Lens. Basically, the system doesn’t just look at an object—it understands the full scene. Shapes, colors, materials, even how stuff relates to each other.

• Behind the scenes, it fires off a bunch of queries (Google calls this “query fan-out”) to bring you smarter answers than your usual link list.

• You can also go deeper with follow-ups like, “Which book is the shortest?” and it keeps the convo going.

• It’s now rolling out to millions more users inside Google Labs. Before this, it was locked behind the Google One AI Premium paywall.

• This update comes as Google tries to keep up with the cool kids: ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and other AI-first engines that are eating traditional search alive.

Here’s what I think:

This isn’t just a flex this is Google trying to make search feel human again. You won’t just search anymore. You’ll talk to your curiosity. And your photos? They’ll finally talk back.

SPONSORED BY Superhuman AI

Find out why 1M+ professionals read Superhuman AI daily.

In 2 years you will be working for AI

Or an AI will be working for you

Here's how you can future-proof yourself:

1. Join the Superhuman AI newsletter – read by 1M+ people at top companies

2. Master AI tools, tutorials, and news in just 3 minutes a day

3. Become 10X more productive using AI

Join 1,000,000+ pros at companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon that are using AI to get ahead.

Sign up and start learning AI

AI search

When the search engine turns on you

One day, your blog’s on a Google ad. The next? You’re wondering where your traffic went.

• That’s what happened to Morgan McBride, a DIY blogger whose site tanked right after Google featured her in a feel-good campaign.

• The culprit? Google’s new AI Overviews—automated answers stitched together from sites like hers. People stop clicking. Sites stop earning.

• Bloomberg spoke to dozens of creators. Same story: traffic’s vanished. Some saw 70% drops. Others had to shut down.

• For years, the deal was simple: make good stuff, get Google traffic. But now, AI answers often replace the content, not link to it.

• And even when they do link, users don’t always click. That means fewer ad views, fewer purchases, and less money to stay in business.

• Google says it’s just trying to give faster, better answers. Behind closed doors, they’ve admitted the shift is real—but no one’s promising a fix.

• In some cases, Google’s AI has even served up bad info—like fake product recommendations or beach tips from… a luggage site?

• Smaller publishers say they’re being squeezed out in favor of big names and forums like Reddit or YouTube.

• And those participating in Google’s experiments—like food bloggers whose recipes are summarized directly in search—say the payout doesn’t make up for the lost traffic.

Here’s what I think:

This isn’t just about clicks. It’s about trust. Google built its empire on other people’s content. Now it’s serving it back with fewer crumbs for the ones who made it. That’s not innovation. That’s cannibalism with a friendly UI.

AI TOOLS + GIVEAWAY

AI TOOLS

• Feedback & Survey Generator: Survicate

• Contract Review Assistant: Spellbook

• Auto-Edit Screencasts: Tella

• Email Summarizer & Response Generator: MailMaestro

• Background Removal + Image Upscaling: Cleanup.pictures

• Text-to-Storyboard Tool: Storyboard That

Explore new AI tools here on Nextool AI (find more than 10,000+ AI tools in one place!)

GIVEAWAY

Don’t know how to use AI and make money?

I’ve been there.

I didn’t know what to do with my AI skills.

So, I monetized them geniously by developing apps, SaaS, and other educational products.

If you want to do the same, get this free guide (you’ll learn how to monetize ChatGPT):

🚀 Founders & AI Builders, Listen up!

If you’ve built an AI tool, here’s an opportunity to gain serious visibility.

Nextool AI is a leading tools aggregator that offers:

• 500k+ page views and a rapidly growing audience.

• Exposure to developers, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts actively searching for innovative tools.

• A spot in a curated list of cutting-edge AI tools, trusted by the community.

• Increased traffic, users, and brand recognition for your tool.

Take the next step to grow your tool’s reach and impact.

Reach 100,000+ READERS:

Expand your reach and boost your brand’s visibility!

Partner with Nextool AI to showcase your product or service to 100,000+ engaged subscribers, including entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, developers, and industry leaders.

Ready to make an impact? Visit our sponsorship website to explore sponsorship opportunities and learn more!