Google is introducing some significant changes to its AI Mode to help with study, research and planning, especially for students.
The updates introduce additional methods for dealing with with Google AI image uploads for desktop, a live camera share, PDF support as properly as a new workspace property dubbed Canvas.
Ask Questions Using Images on Desktop
Users can now upload images directly in AI Mode on desktop starting today. Citing this as “one of the most requested features” this was first tried on mobile back in April, and now extends to large screens, aiding in getting assistance on things like homework and identifying objects, such as plants or charts.
Users can upload an image and therefore ask questions about that image and receive AI-generated answers. Such tool can help pupils get more familiar with visual materials and resolve certain issues.
Mobile Gets Real-Time Camera Assistance
Google is further experimenting with live video support in the AI Mode for U.S. mobile users that are in the AI Mode Labs experiment.
With this functionality, the users will point their phone camera towards anything like a science experiment, book or math worksheet and they will be able to ask questions by speaking the same.
Building on top of Google’s Search Live, this would let you hold a live, two-way conversation with AI while inputting video for context. The main engine behind it is a custom spin on Google’s Gemini AI.
Soon supporting PDFs & files on your Google Drive for AI Mode
PDF file uploads will become available in AI Mode in the coming weeks as well, for users. The AI will generate helpful and accurate answers by scanning both the document as well as the web, according to Google.
Students could, for instance, post lecture notes or assignments and ask the AI to clarify any difficult areas or summarize the material.
In addition to this, users will also be able to link their Google Drive and extract files straight into AI Mode so they can be analysed and get an helping hand.
Introducing Canvas: Your New workspace for Planning and Learning
The other big update is the rollout of Canvas in AI Mode, which we first saw this past March when Google Gemini was unveiled. Canvas:
A canvas is a new sidebar that users will use to collate their queries and human-based or AI responses over time. It’s great for creating study guides, project plans, travel itineraries, or checklists.
Users can add a “Create Canvas” to save their session and to get updates as they follow up or hone their requests when using AI Mode for making them.
Lens Integration & Chrome tools Get Smarter
As for Google Lens, the company is also bringing Lens to Chrome to improve how users engage with websites. Clicking the address bar will soon give you a new option to Ask Google about this page.
That will open a sidebar allowing users to select text, images, or diagrams from the page. Google AI will then provide a real-time AI Overview that describes or summarizes the highlighted material. At that point, users may dig deeper clicking, for example, “AI Mode” or “Dive Deeper.”
Easier Access and Multiple Learning Avenues
The AI Mode button will sit right on the homepage for desktop users, be a lot easier to find and use, and Google agendas sometime in the coming months to roll this out to more people if it goes well. All these changes are representative of Google effort to make AI Mode a reliable learning and productivity tool.
With these updates, both students and regular users similar can engage with AI via documents, images, live video, and even PDFs receiving rapid, useful responses directly in their browser.
