Google Adds Canvas and Search Live to AI Mode for UK Rollout

Google has expanded its AI Mode toolkit with two new features: Canvas, a dynamic workspace within Search, and Search Live, a real-time visual assistant powered by Google Lens. The update arrives alongside AI Mode’s launch in the UK, bringing a more interactive, multimodal experience to Search users. With Canvas, users can pin results, ask follow-ups, and track progress within the same side panel. Search Live enhances Lens with real-time visual feedback and AI-generated answers for what's happening on screen.

This marks a shift in how Google packages AI within its search engine. Canvas is more than a passive chatbot; it turns the Search sidebar into an editable, persistent space for task management, research, and even writing. Paired with the real-time power of Search Live, the features give users a reason to stay within Google’s interface rather than bouncing between tabs or apps.

The rollout positions Google to keep pace with competitors like Perplexity and OpenAI, which have leaned into conversational, task-centric AI assistants. While AI Mode initially launched in the U.S., this UK expansion signals a broader push to integrate AI as a default part of the search experience, not a separate mode. For everyday users and productivity-focused workflows, these tools could shift Google from being a place to find information to a place to work with it.