Google is supposedly testing removing the AI Mode button from the Google Search bar. I cannot replicate this, but it doesn't surprise me that Google would test removing the AI Mode bar for a tiny subset of searchers to compare how it performs versus when the AI Mode button is available.
This was spotted by Len Raleigh who wrote on X, "Google took away AI Mode in incognito / Chrome." He added that this is "just a test - I still have AI Mode on other machines and on other sessions."
Here is his screenshot:
Again, Google will do these tests on a small subset of searchers, just to track data and compare it to the masses.
Google added the AI Mode button back in May 2025, here is what it looks like:
Forum discussion at X.
