Google is testing an image box that you can click on and expand to reveal images. Google's mobile search results can show an image link, that if you click on reveal an image grid section. If you don't click on it, it won't show the images.
This was spotted by Khushal Bherwani who shared a videocast of this in action on X:
He said, "I think Google wants to save more space by this feature."
Yea, it does seem that way.
This may impact some queries click-through rates to images, if this does go fully live.
Forum discussion at X.