jasdooit

Microsoft seems to be offering itsExperimental AI-powered search feature in EdgeA new name. The most recent Edge Canary version now displays “AI Mode” in the browser toolbar.

Microsoft has also updated the user-visible name of its experimental “Edge AI Search” option to “Edge AI Mode.” The description now states “Enables AI Mode features,” while the internal identifier stays as #edge-ai-search.

That is significant because this is the same feature Microsoft has been experimenting with as AI Search.

When we first reportedOn Edge’s AI Search, we highlighted its parallels withGoogle’s AI ModeThe Edge experience featured an additional menu offering choices to attach files and images, along with the ability to generate images. It also enables queries related to tabs, documents, and visuals.

The updated name is now visible in both the browser’s toolbar and the flag’s publicly displayed name.

Bing continues to be the default search engine for Edge. During our testing, with Bing set as the default, AI Mode does not take its place. Rather, it offers an alternative method to access the AI-driven search experience directly from the address bar.

There is one significant exception. The AI Search functionality failed to operate during our testing on the Edge Canary version. Choosing it did not result in a functional AI search experience. This indicates that Microsoft is still in the process of developing this feature.

This is not the first instance where Microsoft has altered the branding of an AI feature in Edge.The firm had earlier experimented with “Help me write” for an Edge writing functionbefore proceeding to the “Writing Assistant” terminology on the web.

Edge has also employed various names for its wider AI capabilities, includingCopilot Mode, Browse with Copilot , also known asActions. That history makes the new AI Mode label worth observing, particularly as Microsoft might alter it again before the feature becomes part of the stable version of Edge.

Currently, Microsoft is experimenting with the AI Search experience, referred to as “AI Mode” in Edge Canary. The feature already has many similarities to Google’s AI Mode, and Microsoft’s new branding further highlights this similarity.