Artificial intelligence is nothing if not boundary‑free. Google’s latest expansion of AI Mode—the powerful, Gemini‑powered version of Search that supports richer reasoning, follow‑up queries, voice/image prompts, and more—is now breaking the English monopoly. As of September 2025, Google has rolled out AI Mode support in five new languages: Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese, in addition to English. [The Verge]
This update isn’t just a check‑box for localization; it signals how Google is trying to make AI search more inclusive, relevant, and effective for people around the world. Let’s dig into what exactly is changing, how it works, what the implications are, and what to watch for next.
What’s New: Key Details
New Languages Added
AI Mode now supports Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, besides its original support for English. Users in regions speaking these languages can now use AI Mode in their native or preferred language. [Search Engine Roundtable]
Underlying Technology
The expansion leverages Gemini 2.5, which Google has customized for Search. This enhances the model’s ability to handle nuanced language understanding, context, and cultural relevance—not just literal translation.
Availability
- The feature is being rolled out globally, in many of the same markets where English‑language AI Mode is already active.
- As always with big rollouts, there may be a lag: not all users in those language markets will get AI Mode immediately. [Thurrott.com]
Capabilities in Local Context
Beyond just offering the UI in these languages, Google says AI Mode in these languages is designed to understand local content, queries, idioms, cultural references. So results will be more than just translated — they should feel native.
Why This Expansion Matters
- Greater Accessibility and Inclusivity
Language can be a huge barrier to digital tools. By supporting major non‑English languages like Hindi or Korean, Google is enabling more people to ask complex questions naturally, rather than being forced into English or poor translations. That’s a win for inclusivity.
- Cultural Relevance & Trust
Users tend to trust tools that understand their cultural context — what may seem like a niche query in one culture might be mainstream in another. AI Mode’s expanded language support helps Google deliver more relevant responses, respecting local norms, reference points, and even search behavior.
- Competitive Edge in AI Search
Many AI search or chat tools are primarily optimized for English. Google’s move increases its edge in non‑English speaking markets. This also pressures competitors (from startups to big players) to improve their multilingual capabilities.
- SEO & Content Opportunities
For content creators, bloggers, localization teams, there’s a big opportunity here. Sites that produce high‑quality content in these newly supported languages may gain in visibility via AI Mode results. This may also change how keyword research, content translation, and local SEO are done.
Challenges & What to Watch
- Quality of Understanding
Even with Gemini 2.5, some languages have more resources (data, corpora, content) than others. Google will need to ensure that AI Mode’s performance (relevance, reasoning, fluency) remains high, particularly in languages with fewer digital resources.
- Cultural Nuance & Bias
Language is deeply tied to culture; AI models sometimes misinterpret idioms, historical references, or sentiments. Google will need to overcome biases in training data and ensure fairness and equity in how it treats all languages.
- User Experience & Feature Parity
Are all features available equally in new languages? For example: voice/image prompts, follow‑ups, local content access, etc. Sometimes, features are first built for English then gradually localized. Users will want to see consistent performance.
- Local Regulations & Privacy
Different countries have different privacy laws, data regulation standards, content moderation norms. Google will need to adapt AI Mode’s policies and implementation in each localized language to comply with local regulation.
Conclusion
Google’s expansion of AI Mode into Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese is more than just adding languages—it’s about deepening the utility, relevance, and inclusivity of search. As AI continues to evolve, we’ll likely see more languages added, more localized nuance, and higher expectations from users and creators alike.
For anyone involved in content creation, localization, SEO, or simply someone who uses Google in a language other than English—this is a moment to pay attention. There are new opportunities, but also new standards for quality and relevance.
