Google caught secretly testing more AI in Chrome that might have you going bananas

What you need to know

• It was reported that Google's newest Chrome Canary (test build) update is looking to bring more people into the world of Nano Banana and Deep Search.
• These two features will supposedly appear as "AI Chips" beneath the New Tab text bar, giving users easier access to such places.
• Google's Gemini for Chrome September update brought the AI Mode icon to the New Tab page, alongside several more major features.

It looks like Google's riding the high of its recent AI image generator, and it's looking to put it front and center.

If you're going to browse the web, you might open Chrome, and that's where Windows Report comes in, as a recent test illuminates Google's plans. Reportedly, the company's latest Chrome Canary version (Google Chrome's test environment) brought in two major AI features that the company has placed elsewhere in its ecosystem. Specifically, the publication states the test update focused on new tabs in Chrome on desktop, as it integrates Nano Banana.

How Google is seemingly preparing to do this is via a new "AI Chip." This "chip" is supposedly going to be placed right under the pre-existing textbox in the center of any new tab in Chrome.

In the test, the publication states that clicking Nano Banana changes the centered text box. Instead of saying "Search Google or type a URL," it now says "Create an image of..." From there, users can type what they'd like the AI to create, which will generate, but how and where (two important questions) aren't narrowed down yet. The post states that while Nano Banana is appearing, the feature in its entirety isn't fully fleshed out, meaning those important details are missing.

Similarly, the post mentions that AI Mode's "Deep Search" is getting its own AI chip. All this does is push the AI to dive deeper into its research for complex questions (you can access this in AI Mode natively already). It seems Google's just interested in making it more "in your face," rather than hopping into AI Mode beforehand.

Google's popular AI features take center stage

In a way, it makes sense that Google is trying so hard to push its AI Mode software to more people in a place where they often start. During the summer, AI Mode got a major update that brought Deep Search into the world. Courtesy of Gemini 2.5 Pro, AI Mode's Deep Search can "save hours by issuing hundreds of searches, reasoning across disparate pieces of information and crafting a comprehensive, fully-cited report in minutes."

If you've got Google's AI Pro or AI Ultra, you can enjoy Gemini 2.5 Pro's influence on AI Mode.

When it comes to Google Chrome and AI, the company's been slowly but surely feeding more into it, just like it did last month. Gemini in Chrome was the big headline in September, as Google improved browsing, security, and more for Android and PC users. Now, when scrolling through articles or other lengthy pages in Chrome, users can tap the Gemini icon and have it summarize its contents.

That huge September brought the AI Mode icon to Chrome's New Tab page, too. Then, there's Nano Banana, which is confirmed to be on its way to Search and Lens.