At its annual I/O developer conference in California, Google outlined an ambitious vision for artificial intelligence, unveiling a suite of products and upgrades designed to embed its Gemini AI deeper into users' daily lives. CEO Sundar Pichai described the company's next phase as 'agentic,' focusing on AI systems that can perform autonomous tasks.
'Ten years since we pivoted the company to be AI-first, we still see AI as the most profound way to advance our mission and improve people's lives at scale,' Pichai said during his keynote. The announcements come as Google faces mounting pressure from rivals such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic in the rapidly expanding AI market.
Search Gets Its Biggest Overhaul in 25 Years
One of the most significant changes is a major redesign of Google Search, which the company says is used by over 3 billion people. The new Intelligent Search box, powered by AI, allows users to describe their needs in natural language rather than relying on keywords. Google calls this 'the biggest upgrade to our Search box in over 25 years.'
In a demonstration, a user typed that they wanted to start a pottery hobby and asked for class recommendations on Tuesday nights or weekends near their location. The search engine returned targeted results and allowed follow-up questions through an AI mode that 'keeps context with you as you explore more deeply,' according to a company blog.
For longer tasks like planning a wedding or managing a move, Google is introducing coding agents that help users create custom dashboards or 'mini apps' to track progress. Additionally, information agents—personalised AI agents—can work in the background to monitor topics of interest. For example, a user could ask Google to alert them when a favourite athlete announces a collaboration with a shoe brand, and the system would send notifications from relevant online sources.
This overhaul comes amid concerns that AI Overviews, the AI-generated answers in search results, have reduced traffic to external websites. The new features aim to balance user convenience with publisher visibility.
Two New Gemini Models
Google also announced Gemini Omni, a model that can 'create anything from any input,' combining video, images, audio, and text to produce high-quality videos. Users can edit videos by conversing with the AI, such as asking it to 'make the mirror ripple like liquid' or turn a person's arm metallic. The model reasons about scenes using 'knowledge of history, science, and cultural context,' the company said.
Alongside Omni, Google introduced Gemini 3.5 Flash, a lightweight model optimised for developer and auditing tasks. It operates at 'a fraction of the time' and 'less than half the cost of other frontier models,' according to Google. A more advanced Gemini 3.5 Pro was teased for a later launch this year.
AI Integration Across Consumer Apps
Google expanded AI features across its consumer apps, including voice-powered Gmail search, Docs Live for creating documents from verbal notes, and 'Ask' YouTube, which lets users ask questions directly on the video platform. YouTube will also jump to the most relevant part of a video based on user queries.
On the developer side, new AI Studio tools allow users to generate Android applications from natural language prompts. These updates aim to make Google's ecosystem more intuitive and competitive, particularly as European regulators scrutinise the company's market dominance. For context, former Google executive Matt Brittin recently took the helm at the crisis-hit BBC, highlighting the tech giant's influence beyond Silicon Valley.
Renewed Push into Smart Eyewear
Google also revived its extended reality ambitions with updated Android XR smart glasses. The company is developing two types: audio glasses that offer spoken assistance via 'Hey Google' or a tap on the frame, and display glasses that show live information such as directions, photo editing, or real-time translation.
These announcements underscore Google's strategy to embed AI across hardware and software, a move that could reshape how Europeans interact with technology. As the EU considers new regulations on AI and digital markets, Google's push may face additional scrutiny. Meanwhile, users can already customise their news sources on Google, a feature that could become more relevant as AI-driven search evolves.
