Recently announced that the "AI Mode" search function will be expanded to more than 180 countries and regions, andAdded restaurant reservation and ticket booking functionsLater, Google announced that it would add more supported languages to this feature, further expanding support from only English interaction.Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Hindi, and Brazilian Portuguese, thereby accelerating the globalization and localization of AI search services, and bringing the AI-driven search experience to more daily usage scenarios for non-English users.
The "AI Mode" search function will be launched as early as March this yearPublic Beta, and in May in the United StatesFully open, and subsequently expanded to the UK and India markets. According to Google data, AI Mode currently covers more than 180 countries and regions, but has always been available only in English. The addition of support for more languages allows this service to be further implemented in different native language markets.
Gemini 2.5 and Localization Challenges
Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management for Google Search, noted that making AI search "truly global" requires more than just text translation; it also requires a more nuanced understanding of local information. By integrating the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and multimodal reasoning capabilities, Google can provide more tailored responses to users of different languages, including local news, frequently asked questions, and cultural nuances.
This also means that Google isn't just "translating" AI searches, originally conducted in English, into other languages. It's also attempting to adapt AI to understand the information structures and user habits of different markets. For example, in the Japanese and Korean markets, search results often require a higher density of local news and forum content, while the Indonesian and Indian markets rely more heavily on integrating local e-commerce and social media platforms.
The conflict between internet traffic and the publishing industry
Google has publicly stated that since the launch of the AI Overview and AI Mode features, website traffic driven by search has been "relatively stable," even emphasizing that "search-driven web traffic remains robust." However, in supporting documents recently filed in court, Google's lawyers stated that "the open web is rapidly declining," highlighting a discrepancy between its public statements and its legal defense.
The addition of language support will inevitably put pressure on local media and publishing industries. As more users seek answers directly on search results, it may become more difficult to direct traffic to original content sources. Therefore, for media outlets in Asian markets that rely heavily on online advertising for revenue, adjusting SEO strategies or implementing generative AI-assisted content production will become crucial for future survival.
Implications for Taiwan and the Asian Market
While this wave of language support updates doesn't yet include Traditional Chinese, Google's prioritization of Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia underscores the importance of the Asian market as a key battleground for the advancement of AI search services. In Taiwan, while users are currently limited to an English interface, the future introduction of a Chinese version will undoubtedly transform information consumption and potentially impact the existing traffic distribution of local media and content industries.
Overall, the cross-language launch of Google AI Mode marks a new phase in the globalization of AI search. If the Chinese market is included in the next phase, it will directly challenge the content ecosystems of various Asian countries and provide users with a more localized AI experience.
