Wait, Edge Has AI Mode Now? Microsoft Gives "AI Search" a New Name

Microsoft appears to be giving its experimental AI Search experience in Edge a new name. The latest Edge Canary build now shows “AI Mode” in the browser toolbar.

Microsoft has also changed the user-facing name of its experimental “Edge AI Search” flag to “Edge AI Mode.” The description now says “Enables AI Mode features,” while the underlying identifier remains #edge-ai-search.

That is important because this is the same feature Microsoft has been testing as AI Search.

When we first reported on Edge’s AI Search, we pointed out its similarities to Google’s AI Mode. The Edge experience included a + menu with options to add files and images, as well as Create images. It also supports questions based on tabs, files, and images.

The new name now appears in both the browser toolbar and the flag’s user-facing name.

Bing also remains Edge’s default search engine. With Bing set as the default in our testing, AI Mode does not replace it. Instead, it provides a separate way to access the AI-powered search experience from the address bar.

There is one important caveat. The AI Search experience did not work during our testing on the Edge Canary build. Selecting it did not produce a usable AI search experience. This suggests Microsoft is still working on the feature.

This is not the first time Microsoft has changed the branding of an AI feature in Edge. The company previously tested “Help me write” for an Edge writing feature before moving toward “Writing Assistant” terminology on the web.

Edge has also used several names for its broader AI features, including Copilot Mode, Browse with Copilot , aka Actions. That history makes the new AI Mode label worth watching, especially since Microsoft could change it again before the feature reaches the stable version of Edge.

For now, Microsoft is testing the AI Search experience as “AI Mode” in Edge Canary. The feature already shares several similarities with Google’s AI Mode, and Microsoft’s new branding only makes that resemblance more apparent.