Google says AI Mode’s rapid growth helped slow revenue growth in its search business. People are asking more questions, but the conversational search service still has what chief business officer Philipp Schindler called “lower monetization.”

Speaking on Alphabet’s October 28 earnings call , Schindler was explaining why Search’s revenue growth slowed from the previous quarter. He did not put a dollar figure on AI Mode’s effect.

Search revenue still rose. Google’s Search and other business brought in $63.35 billion in the third quarter, up 12% from a year earlier, according to Alphabet’s earnings release .

Schindler identified currency movements as the biggest reason growth slowed from the previous quarter. He also pointed to changes in retail, media and entertainment advertising. AI Mode was one factor in that wider picture.

Illustrative stock photograph of someone browsing the web.…