Excel skills no longer needed? Google secretly testing ‘Visual Search’ with ‘Live Charts’
Google's new interactive data visualisation feature in AI Search is currently available only to users testing it through Google Labs.
Google is quietly testing a new way to present information in Search, using live charts and visual elements that appear alongside AI generated summaries. For now, the feature is only accessible through Google Labs, but it offers a clear sense of where the company is heading. The experience feels more dynamic, more visual, and designed for people who want to grasp data without digging through spreadsheets.
The feature expands on AI Overviews, the generative system introduced earlier this year that creates summaries for complex or layered queries. Now, when someone asks a question involving data, such as population changes, emissions levels, or digital trends, the response may include a visual chart that makes the numbers easier to understand.
These visualisations are powered by Google’s Data Commons project, which collects structured datasets from sources such as the World Bank and official government reports. The charts are interactive, letting users tap to explore values, compare numbers, or even change categories in some cases.
Currently limited to Labs users
The feature is currently limited to users in the Search Labs program who have enabled AI Overviews. While Google has not provided a specific timeline, features tested in Labs often expand to more users gradually over time.
The goal is not to replace traditional search results or summaries but to make them easier to engage with when data is involved. Reading about inflation trends is one thing. Seeing a visual chart that compares ten years of figures across countries offers more immediate insight.
A shift toward visual first search
Google is not the only one rethinking how search results should appear. Microsoft has been testing similar visual formats in Bing, and platforms like Perplexity are blending text, sources, and media into unified responses. Google’s version keeps the familiar interface but adds a helpful layer when it is needed.
For students, analysts, or anyone who often looks up statistics, this offers a faster way to make sense of the numbers. Instead of downloading PDFs or jumping between sources, users can now get a quick snapshot of key data directly in the results page.
What comes next?
There is no confirmed date for wider access, and not every query currently shows a chart. But with Labs features frequently expanding after early testing, broader availability may follow.
Alongside the launch of Search Live, which allows users to use Google Search through voice without touching the screen, this points to a more responsive and flexible search experience. Google is not just providing information anymore. It is helping users interact with it in smarter ways.
