A Chrome Canary build briefly included a flag that redirected all Google search address query bar to Fashion AI instead of standard search results.
Google’s vice president of search engineering, Rajan Patel, confirmed that the flag was a mistake and said the company does not plan to make AI mode the default for searches in Chrome.
The flag, called “Fulfill search box queries in AI mode,” appeared in a recent Chrome Canary update and was discovered by Windows Report.
Its description said that it “redirects all normal search box queries in the omnibox and realbox to threads in AI mode”, which affects Mac users. windowsLinux and ChromeOS.
What Google Flag and History Did to Make AI Mode Easier to Access
Users who enabled the flag in Chrome Canary had their search queries in the address bar sent directly to AI mode, bypassing Google’s standard search results page. Typically, accessing AI Mode requires clicking on a dedicated tab at the top of Google Search results.
Chrome Canary is used to test new browser features before they are released to the stable version of Chrome. Not all Canary features are included in the stable release.
The appearance of the flag was not entirely unexpected given previous statements by Google employees.
In September 2025, Logan Kilpatrick, senior product manager for Google AI Studio, responded to a user suggesting that AI mode should be the default search experience with a simple “soon :)” in X.
After some backlash from users, Google’s vice president of search, Robby Stein, attempted to walk back the comment, saying he “wouldn’t put much stock in this” and clarifying that the focus was on making AI mode easier to access rather than setting it as the default.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the Canary flag was a genuine bug or a planned feature that was reverted after user feedback. Patel’s statement that it was a mistake is the only official position Google has shared.
Why this Chrome AI mode flag is important
Google Search AI Mode replaces the traditional link-based results page with conversational AI responses. A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that users were almost 50% less likely to click on links when AI overviews appeared in search results.
AI mode goes a step further by making AI the main interface. Publishers have expressed concern about reduced referral traffic, and many users have expressed a preference for traditional search results.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority this week ordered Google to allow publishers to opt out of having their content used in AI search features, citing concerns about the impact on traffic.
Google has confirmed that AI Mode will not be the default in Chrome searches at this time. The company has not indicated if or when it might reconsider this decision.
