Google launches Gemini 3 Flash — and claims it's as fast as using traditional Search

• Gemini 3 Flash is now available worldwide in Google AI Mode
• Google claims the AI model lets users search the web without compromising speed compared to traditional search
• In the US, Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro are also available in AI Mode

Google just launched Gemini 3 Flash, a new AI model the company says "brings the incredible reasoning of the Gemini 3 model at the speed you expect of Search."

Gemini 3 Flash is available worldwide as part of Google's AI Mode, and if it lives up to the claim of being as fast as a normal person using Search, then it could be the system seller for AI search.

Google says, "Gemini 3 Flash’s strong performance in reasoning, tool use, and multimodal capabilities enable AI Mode to tackle your most complicated questions with greater precision – without compromising speed."

And considering that up until this point, AI Mode feels more like a gimmick rather than the principal way to use Google Search, maybe Gemini 3 Flash can change the narrative.

Gemini 3 Flash: Frontier intelligence, built for speed - YouTube

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Better than traditional search?

Gemini 3 Flash is completely free to use as part of AI Mode; simply navigate to the AI-powered search engine directly from Google.com.

Google claims this upgraded model makes AI Mode "an all-around more powerful tool" capable of "understanding your needs, so you can ask more nuanced questions," and then, considering the constraints, "provide a thoughtful, well-formatted response."

After you've got your speedy AI-powered search results, you can then explore further by clicking through sources and useful links from across the web.

Users in the US are also getting access to a wider rollout of Gemini 3 Pro and the incredible AI image generation tool, Nano Banana Pro, from directly within AI Mode - a sign that Google really wants you to give AI search a try.

Both of these models are available for free, but you'll need Google AI Pro or Ultra to get higher usage limits and make the most of what Gemini has to offer.

Time to switch to AI Mode?

I'll be totally honest, even as TechRadar's Senior AI Writer, I've had no urge to use Google's AI Mode in my day-to-day life.

That said, Google is promising an AI search engine here that offers supremely fast results similar to those we've come to expect in the decades the company's search engine has ruled the internet. If this is actually true (I've yet to try Gemini 3 Flash), then AI Mode might genuinely replace Google Search, just like the company wants it to.

I'm not totally convinced, especially considering that even AI Overviews in regular Google Search can often take time to load and are sometimes inaccurate. But, if any company is going to convince users to trust AI with search engine results, it's Google, and I'm very intrigued to see if the new AI model can live up to the bold marketing claims.

Stay tuned to TechRadar for all Gemini news, and we'll be sure to put AI Mode's Gemini 3 Flash through its paces to see if it's as efficient as Google promises.

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