Google expands AI Mode with PDF uploads, Canvas planner and more

Google is rolling out a suite of new features for its experimental AI Mode in Search. The update brings multiple new features such as PDF uploads, a dynamic Canvas planner and a deeper integration with Chrome and Google Lens. The company claims that the new features are designed to help users to learn, organise and explore more efficiently.“We’re introducing new features and capabilities for AI Mode in Search, just in time for the back-to-school season. You can already use AI Mode in the Google app on Android and iOS to ask complex questions about images, and this week the same capability is launching on desktop browsers,” said Google in a blog post.Users are now allowed to update PDF files directly into the AI Mode on desktop. This will enable the users to ask detailed questions about lecture slides, research papers or any other document. The AI Mode will analyze the file and cross-reference it with web data to deliver contextual answers and helpful links. Support for additional file types, including Google Drive documents, is expected in the coming months. The new Canvas feature allow the users to create study plans, organise tasks and refine projects over multiple sessions. Accessible via a side panel, Canvas updates dynamically as users interact with AI Mode. “AI Mode will start piecing everything together in the Canvas side panel, and you can use follow-ups to refine the output until it meets your exact requirements. Soon, the new upload feature will also make it possible to customize your study guide (or whatever you need to create) with context from your files, like class notes or a course syllabus.”AI Mode now works seamlessly with Google Lens in Chrome, enabling users to ask questions about anything on their screen—be it a diagram in a PDF or a webpage.Google is also launching Search Live, a real-time video input feature powered by Project Astra. Search Live is fully integrated with Google Lens, our visual search tool. To get started, just open Lens in the Google app, tap the Live icon, and ask whatever’s on your mind while pointing your camera. You can have a free-flowing, back-and-forth conversation with Search in AI Mode, aided by all the visual context from your live camera feed, like different angles or objects in motion.