Overview
- Google rolled out the Chrome AI Mode update Thursday in the U.S., adding a split view that keeps the chat open while a clicked link loads beside it.
- A new plus menu lets you add recent tabs, images, and PDFs as context so the AI tailors answers to what you already have open on desktop or mobile.
- Chrome now surfaces AI Mode on the New Tab page and in the address bar, and the plus menu also exposes creative tools like Canvas and image creation.
- The features are live in U.S. English with a wider rollout promised, and ZDNET says you need Chrome version 146.0.7680.174 or newer.
- The experience runs on Google’s Gemini 3 Flash model, and tests warn RAM use can spike when many tabs stay active for AI context as observers also question how the stickier chat view could further cut traffic to publishers.