Google Search transforms with agentic AI, generative UIs, and intelligent search box at I/O 2026

Buckle up: Google is set to remake search with agentic AI in 2026

Last year marked the beginning of Google's explicit focus on AI search, and this year's I/O solidified that shift. As Google's search VP Liz Reid said during the keynote, "Google search is AI search." This change is well underway, and the very reasonable objections to this path will not dissuade the company. All the metrics that matter to Google say this is the right move. But at the end of the day, Google can get whatever outcome it wants because it's just that big and influential. Google started testing AI Mode for search just over a year ago, making the shift official at I/O 2025. You hear a lot of complaints around the Internet about how AI is changing Google's search products, but Google is getting what it wants: more searches. Reid revealed at I/O 2026 that AI Mode usage has been doubling every quarter. There are now more than 1 billion people using AI Mode every month. It's not hard to see how that could be true. AI Mode invites a conversational experience -- it asks you questions -- and each of those follow-up queries counts as searches. Google has also pushed AI Mode very hard, including prominent links and nudges to get people to use its search chatbot instead of the traditional product. And unlike many of Google's other AI experiences, you don't have to pay anything to AI search. Everyone who uses Google search gets the full AI experience. You can hardly escape AI Mode as it is, and Google is announcing even more AI Mode integrations at I/O this year. AI Overviews may be the most prominent element of Google's AI search shift, but that's increasingly looking like a stopgap as AI Mode spins up. Google has a new "seamless" search experience that ties AI Mode into AI Overviews. Most Google searches now produce an AI Overview. Google is expanding a mobile feature that lets you move from an Overview into AI Mode. This feature is now available across desktop, too. The AI Mode nudge hovers at the bottom of the Overview, actually hiding the top of the organic search results. This will, no doubt, inflate the number of AI Mode searches even more. It may also disincentivise users from scrolling down to see the 10 blue links. It makes organic results feel more like footnotes than the core of the search experience. Reid also says Google's new search box is the biggest change in its entire 25-year history. A search box isn't very complicated (or didn't used to be), but the new version again guides users toward AI Mode. It expands dynamically as you type more, and it will attempt to autocomplete your searches. Google definitely doesn't want you to call it autocomplete, though! It uses generative AI technology to guess at your intent, guided by what Gemini knows about you. This change is rolling out today globally. Search vibes Google's more-AI-than-ever search experience is also veering into experiences that don't really feel like a search engine. Search will employ agents to answer your questions in new ways, powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash. Google says it has integrated Antigravity as a harness for the new model's AI agents in search. This powers two different ways of finding information with vibe coding that are similar but technically distinct. When you ask questions in regular search (AI Overviews) or AI Mode later this summer, Google's AI may choose to create generative UI. These are single-shot simulations that help you understand concepts like, for example, the golden ratio or the behavior of black holes. These interfaces will have sliders, buttons, and other elements conjured from the AI ether. The other experience is currently limited to AI Mode, and it goes a step further. If your query calls for it, Search will create a custom app to help you with the problem. Currently you have to ask for an app (e.g. make or build 'x' for me), but the line between generative UI and apps may blur over time. What is that supposed to do for you? Maybe you want to plan a family outing for the weekend, so you ask search to build an itinerary. In that case, Search can create a UI with event suggestions, reviews, map embeds, and calendar integration. It pulls this data from Google's platform as well as from around the web. The early demos of search agent dashboards actually show you the code as it's generated, but Google is most likely going to hide this for the full rollout later this summer. Showing a simplified workflow of chain of thought would avoid confusing the average user who just wants a pretty UI and doesn't care that it was generated on the spot. You can revisit and change the dashboard by accessing your AI Mode history in the sidebar. These generated apps can be customized with follow-up prompts, and you can share them with others via a link. The other party can even customize the app to their liking. Currently, there is no way to share those modifications, but that's something Google is exploring. It may also be possible in the future to manually modify the code of these mini-apps line by line. Swallowing the Internet whole The overarching trend here is fewer blue links and more AI-generated everything. Google says the greater efficiency of Gemini 3.5 Flash enables all these new AI experiences, and we can expect more of them in the future. The agentic app generation in particular may benefit from the pending improvements in Gemini 3.5 Pro, which might even be available before everyone gets search agents. Googlers talk about these moves as a way to more efficiently extract the information people want from webpages that have become weighed down with extraneous text that forces you to scroll past more and more ads. That is a genuine problem with the current state of web content, but Google's hands aren't clean. Many websites have ended up in this state only after years of chasing search rank and compensating for low ad rates. Despite what many see as a decline in Google search quality, the company's search products are still far and away the primary way that people find things online. Even after a year of Google's AI search overhaul, DuckDuckGo, Bing, Brave, and the rest of the competition continue to be little more than a rounding error. Google appears to take its continued dominance and growth as proof that it's on the right track with AI. Google has decided this is how search works, and the rest of us are just along for the ride.

How to use Google's new AI agents to go beyond your standard searches | TechCrunch

At the Google I/O 2026 keynote, the tech giant revealed new agentic capabilities in Search, where users can create, customize, and manage multiple AI agents to stay updated on topics of interest. The announcement is part of Google's larger push toward agentic AI systems that can take initiative and assist with ongoing tasks instead of answering one question at a time. Unlike traditional search tools that respond only when prompted, Google's information agents are designed to operate continuously in the background, 24/7, helping users stay informed about their interests without needing to repeatedly search for the same information every day. Instead of delivering a list of links, the agents can synthesize information from multiple sources, explain why something matters, compare perspectives, and provide actionable insights. In many ways, the agents represent the next evolution of Google Alerts, the notification service Google launched in 2003. However, these agents are designed to go beyond simple notifications. For instance, someone following the stock market could create an information agent focused on specific companies, share price, or economic trends. The agent could monitor market activity throughout the day, track breaking news, summarize earnings reports, alert users when major changes happen, and provide summaries and links to learn more. It could also help with everyday tasks, such as tracking flight prices for upcoming trips, monitoring sports teams and live events, following breaking news, keeping tabs on housing or job market trends, and tracking weather or traffic. To use the feature, users can open AI Mode in Search and enter a prompt. For example: "Keep me updated on nearby movie tickets for 'The Mandalorian and Grogu.'" When something relevant appears, the Google app sends a push notification. You'll also see your active tracked topics in your AI Mode history, where you can jump back in to manage, refine, or turn off an alert. Information agents will be available this summer. The company is first rolling them out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S., then to additional markets later on. In addition to these information agents, Google also introduced a major redesign of Search, including what it describes as a reimagined "intelligent search box," the company's biggest change to Search in more than 25 years. The new interface is designed to support longer, more conversational queries. There's also a new AI-powered query suggestion system that goes beyond traditional autocomplete, helping users craft nuanced and context-aware searches. Google Search as you know it is over Google updates Gemini app to take on ChatGPT and Claude

Google Search as you know it is over | TechCrunch

Google unveiled on Tuesday an AI-powered overhaul of Search centered around a reimagined "intelligent search box" -- what the company describes as the biggest change to this entry point to the web since the search box debuted more than 25 years ago. Instead of returning a simple list of links, Google Search will drop users into AI-powered interactive experiences at times. Google is also introducing tools that can dispatch "information agents" to gather information on a user's behalf, along with tools that let users build personalized mini apps tailored to their needs. The resulting experience will no longer look much like how people envision Google Search, which has long been defined by ranked links to websites that have the information you need. With the revamped Search experience, the new search box simply expands to accommodate longer, more conversational queries, rather than making you decide what type of search experience or mode you want to choose at the start of your query. It will also have a new AI-powered query suggestion system that goes beyond autocomplete to help people craft more complex and nuanced queries, Google says. Google's AI Overviews will also allow users to ask follow-up questions in AI Mode, beginning Tuesday, the company noted. Google is also introducing agentic capabilities and AI-powered interactive features into the search experience. This means people will spend even less time clicking the traditional blue links that Google Search used to return. Starting this summer, people will be able to create, customize, and manage multiple new "information agents" within Google Search. These agents can work in the background 24/7, to track changes on the web and alert you to new information. For instance, you could have an agent track market movements based on customer parameters, Google suggests. While the underlying technology here is powered by AI, which makes it more capable, the idea itself is not a new one. In 2003, Google launched Google Alerts, a change-detection service that emailed users when new web results matched their search terms. The web was smaller and more manageable then, of course, so this became a part of many information workers' toolsets. (That service still exists in some form, but is no longer the way most web users go about aquiring new information.) Information-gathering agents are an evolution of Google Alerts. Beyond spotting changes, they can make sense of them, too. "You could send an alert to track market movements in a particular sector with very specific parameters, and the agent will map out a monitoring plan for you, including the tools and the data it needs to access -- like our real-time finance data," Google's Head of Search, Liz Reid, explained in a press briefing. "And it will then keep track of those changes and let you know when the conditions are met, and provide a synthesized update with links and information you can dive into further," she added. This shift means that "searching the web" will increasingly be performed by AI agents rather than humans. Instead, people will focus more on acting on the information those agents provide instead of manually clicking links. Links will become an afterthought with the coming changes to the Search results experience, which builds on Google's earlier launches of AI search features, like its short summaries known as AI Overviews and its conversational search, AI Mode. AI Overviews are now used by more than 2.5 billion monthly users; meanwhile, its conversational search mode, launched last year, now tops 1 billion monthly users. (ChatGPT, for comparison, has 900 million weekly active users, as of earlier this year. This suggests that ChatGPT is now seeing more frequent engagement, with users coming back repeatedly throughout the week, while Google has more total unique people touching its AI features over the course of a month.) Now, thanks to a combination of Gemini and Google Antigravity, the company's agentic development platform, Search results will begin to look more like interactive web pages. "Search can build custom experiences just for your individual questions, from dynamic layouts, interactive visuals to persistent and stateful project spaces that you can return to again and again," says Reid. One of the ways Google is integrating these new capabilities is with "generative UI" (user interface), where it builds custom widgets and visualizations on the fly in answer to users' search questions. You can imagine, for example, how a question about black holes in space could lead to an interactive visual that brings the concept to life, Reid said, adding that users can then ask follow-up questions and see Google respond with brand new visuals in real-time. Google says the new system was built in partnership with the Google DeepMind team and uses Gemini Flash 3.5. It will roll out to everyone who uses Google, free of charge, this summer. In addition, Google will allow users to tap into Antigravity to build their own customizable, stateful experiences -- think "mini apps" -- directly in Search using natural-language commands. Again, this isn't so much about information retrieval, but about action. For instance, you could build a meal-planning app using information from your own calendar to help you decide what to prep and when to eat, or a fitness app created for your specific goals. Combined, these changes will likely further decimate Google referrals to publishers, which have already been suffering from declining referrals due to AI Overviews. This has already put some ad-dependent media operations out of business, and now things will likely get worse. There's little time left for publishers to adapt. The new search box is arriving this week, and generative UI is arriving this summer. Both are free. The mini-app building feature and information agents will roll out first to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer. But Google's long-term plan is to make its AI technology more broadly accessible, including its personal AI agent Spark, which will eventually be free, as will many of the AI features. "Part of the reason we focus on delivering frontier models - highly capable, but also very efficient, fast, and at a lower price -- is because we want to bring it to as many people as possible, and so I think that's an area where we will shine," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a press briefing ahead of I/O.

Google Search Is Getting an AI-Heavy Makeover

Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing. Google is blurring the line even more between its search engine and its AI products. The company revealed some major changes for Google Search at its annual Google I/O developers conference on Tuesday, with more conversational AI in more searches. Until now, AI has shown up in Google Search in the form of its so-called AI Overviews and in a separate AI Mode that feels more like talking to the Gemini chatbot. A new interface will instead adjust to match the tone and results of your search query -- including an "intelligent search box" that lets you ask longer, more complex questions. Here's what's coming to Search from Google I/O. Robby Stein, Google's vice president of product for Search, framed this year's I/O updates as a major step in combining Google Search with advanced AI, tracing progress from AI Overviews to AI Mode and, now, a unified AI search experience. He said a billion people use Google's AI Mode each month, and they're asking it more questions. These tools let people ask virtually anything and get rich, real-time answers from Google's extensive knowledge systems, he said. "This is a very exciting time for Search," Stein told reporters ahead of I/O. "People can ask really anything on their mind and people's curiosity is fairly endless." The company is doubling down on integrating frontier AI models with Google's live data (web pages, business listings, products, images, finance) to deliver deeper, conversational search results. The changes come as Google also announced the rollout of Gemini 3.5 Flash, a more capable model focused on reasoning, coding and complex tasks. Stein said building Search tools around the new model raises the overall answer quality on Search. Alongside the model upgrade, Google is introducing an "intelligent search box" that expands for long queries, accepts uploads (photos, PDFs), auto-completes nuanced prompts and can access contextual sources like open Chrome tabs to support multi-step research. AI Overviews now transition seamlessly into AI Mode for follow-ups. So instead of just getting an AI-generated answer in Search, you can have a conversation with the AI providing your search results to get the answers you're looking for. Stein also introduced dynamic, interactive "widgets" and larger "super widgets" generated by the system (enabled by Gemini and developer tooling). These can simulate physics, visualize concepts, build calculators or become persistent mini-apps for tasks such as moving, health tracking or trip planning -- optionally using connected personal data (Gmail, Photos, Calendar) to personalize results across 200 markets and 98 languages. Stein described Search moving into an "agentic" era where AI agents perform tasks on your behalf, such as monitoring topics, sending alerts (like when your favorite artist announces a tour) or booking services by browsing the web and making calls to businesses to make appointments or reservations.

Google Search's AI evolution includes more ads

Google's AI-powered Search era apparently also extends to its ads. Now, when you search for a product, Google's Gemini AI chatbot will surface relevant items and generate a "custom explainer" about why you should purchase a specific one. The update comes just one day after Google revealed a new Search box for larger, more conversational queries, along with a focus on AI-generated results. In an example shared by Google, someone searching for a "compact espresso pod machine" might see a Nespresso Vertuo Up under a "Sponsored Product" label, alongside an AI-generated description saying: For a quality machine, look for capsule compatibility and flavor diversity, the ability to produce rich crema, a fast heat up, and one-touch options for custom cup sizes and iced coffee. Slim, fast-starting machine using Vertuo capsules with rich flavor extraction and customization brew concentrations (e.g. for iced coffee). Heats up in 3s and makes 6 cup sizes. Search will also surface ads with a built-in chatbot. These ads will show an "Ask a question" button, which you can press to start a conversation with Gemini. The AI chatbot will then use the information from a product or service's website to answer your questions, and can also prompt you to fill out a form to put you in touch with the business. Google is testing new kinds of ads within AI Mode -- its chatbot-style Search experience -- as well. The company first introduced a "sponsored" result for some queries in AI Mode last year, but these ad formats seem even more in your face. One of these options could surface a sponsored product that answers a specific question, like, "What are some low-maintenance ways to make my home smell amazing?" AI Mode could present a "sponsored" result for an air freshener beneath its response, complete with a product description and images. In Google's example, the ad appears to take up the entire screen once you scroll over it. Google is also piloting an ad format that prominently shows sponsored products or services within a list of recommendations. If you're looking for a language-learning service, for instance, AI Mode could serve up an ad for Duolingo at the bottom of the list, with information about the app's features. "We're reinventing ads for AI Search so they feel like helpful additions to your conversation," Vidhya Srinivasan, Google's vice president of ads and commerce, writes in the announcement. "These next-generation ad formats close the gap between a person's initial question and their final purchase, while making it easier to discover new brands along the way."

Google's new AI Search box is here - along with agents and 5 more upgrades

Search information agent monitors topics in the background. Remember when Google Search felt simple? You typed a few words into a box, scanned a list of blue links, and hoped for the best. That version of Search is long gone, buried deep under AI. At I/O 2026, Google announced a bunch of Search updates that make it clear the product is becoming something more conversational, more personal, and more like an assistant that can do things for you. Also: Sick of AI in Search? These 7 Google alternatives still put links first The company said it is bringing "advanced model capabilities to Search with new AI features," including a new AI Search box, information agents, agentic coding, and a personalization feature that pulls from your Google app data, to name a few things. "The goal of Search has always been simple: to help you ask anything on your mind," said Liz Reid, vice president and head of Search. The difference now is that Search is designed not just to answer, but to research, shop, book, monitor, and create on your behalf. Here's what's new, who gets it, and when you can actually use it. The AI Mode tab in Google Search on desktop and mobile is powered globally by a new model called Gemini 3.5 Flash. At I/O, Google announced the Gemini 3.5 family and described it as a "major leap forward in building more capable, intelligent agents." It said 3.5 Flash can provide "frontier performance for agents and coding, excelling at complex long-horizon tasks." It's basically a faster, agent-ready model that can reason across sources, handle longer prompts, understand images and video, and complete multistep workflows. Google said it is also making it easier to "continue the conversation" in Search. You can now ask follow-up questions from an AI Overview, move into a "conversational back and forth with AI Mode," and Search keeps your context. Also: How to remove AI Overviews from Google Search: 4 easy ways According to Google, AI Mode has passed one billion monthly users. Now, it is rolling out 3.5 Flash as the default model behind it. Google is overhauling the Search box and decoupling it from keywords. Instead of making you compress a messy thought into a few search terms, the new box is built for conversational, multimodal questions. You can just go ahead and enter whatever you want now. As Google put it, "Because your curiosity doesn't always fit into keywords," it is introducing "the biggest upgrade to our Search box in over 25 years... now completely reimagined with AI." For you, that means Search should better understand your specific, multipart ramblings. So instead of typing "best portable Bluetooth speaker waterproof Alexa," you could ask something closer to how you would ask a person: "I want a portable Bluetooth speaker to take out by the pool. It'd be nice if it were waterproof and supported Alexa. Which ones are worth buying?" Also: Use Google AI Overview for health advice? It's 'really dangerous,' investigation finds You can ask with text, images, files, videos, or Chrome tabs. Google said the new AI Search box would put "powerful AI tools right at your fingertips" with AI suggestions that "go beyond autocomplete." One of the more interesting new Search features may just be agents. Google said it is entering "the era of Search agents," where you can create, customize, and manage multiple AI agents inside Search. The idea is that these Search agents can keep working in the background after you ask a question. The first version is information agents. You can tell it what you want to monitor, and it will keep checking the web, blogs, news, social posts, and other recent sources. Google used apartment hunting as an example: "You can brain dump all of the exact requirements you're looking for, and your agent will continuously scan for you, notifying you when listings meet your needs." Also: How Google just revamped Gemini Enterprise for the agentic era - here's what's new Search is adding agentic booking capabilities for local services and appointments. Google's example: Need a private karaoke room for six people on a Friday night, with food? Google Search with Gemini 3.5 Flash will show you the latest pricing and availability with "direct links to finish booking through the provider of your choice." But for select categories, like home repair, beauty, or pet care, you will be able to ask "Google to call the business on your behalf." Also: Inside Google's vision to make Gmail your personal AI agent command center Google also announced a new AI-powered shopping cart feature connected across Search, Gemini, Google Pay, Gmail, and YouTube. Called Universal Cart, it follows your shopping research across Google services. It remembers products you're considering, watches for price drops, finds alternatives, and helps build a cart using your payment, membership, loyalty, and shipping details. Also: I let Chrome's AI agent shop, research, and email for me - here's how it went Google said it was built on Google Wallet and "lets you quickly find opportunities for hidden savings or points." It gave the example of building a custom PC, which needs a few parts from several retailers. "Your cart will proactively flag any product incompatibilities and suggest alternatives," Google said. "It understands your payment method perks, loyalty information, and merchant offers." Google is putting one of AI's most popular use cases front and center in Search. Or, as Google put it, it is bringing "the power of Google Antigravity and the agentic coding capabilities of Gemini 3.5 Flash right into Search." That means you can ask Search to code small tools or apps, complete with a custom generative UI, layout, and real-time components such as interactive graphs. Also: I stopped using ChatGPT for everything: These AI models beat it at research, coding, and more Google's examples include an astrophysics visualization, a wedding-planning dashboard, a moving tracker, and a fitness app that pulls in new data from reviews, live maps, local sources, and weather. Google is bringing its opt-in personalization features to Search through what it calls Personal Intelligence in AI Mode. Also: This powerful Gemini setting made my AI results way more personal and accurate If you choose to connect apps such as Gmail, Google Calendar, or Google Photos, Search can use your information from those apps to provide more personalized answers. That means it could be better at more personal questions, like finding a receipt buried in your Gmail or surfacing relevant Google Photos while you research something. You can connect or disconnect any app at any time. Google Search has come a long way from the list of blue links. What Google is building now looks more like a control panel for AI agents. I suppose this new version is for people who already use AI to search. It can handle your long, messy, oddly specific questions, monitor topics for you in the background, shop for products, book local services, build small tools, and personalize answers with information pulled directly from connected Google apps. For power users, that's the fun part: Google is putting agentic tools directly into Search. For everyone else, I suspect the most noticeable changes will be the new Personal Intelligence features (if they opt in), the Gemini 3.5 Flash capabilities in AI Mode, and the new AI-powered Search box. Google Search is no longer just a place to type a few keywords and click around. It is smarter, more personal, and, in some cases, willing to do more of the tedious work for you. The trade-off is that the more Search becomes an agent that can personalize, monitor, and act for you, the more you have to trust Google with your data and the context behind what you're asking.

Get Ready for Google's Biggest Search Upgrade in 25 Years. Here's How AI Will Change How You Get Answers

Google is pretty excited about using AI to enhance the search experience. Its chatbot-like AI Mode, for example, has now topped 1 billion monthly users, it announced at Google I/O this week. Digital publishers worldwide are less enthusiastic, but that does not seem to be top of mind for Google. People are "searching more than ever before," it says, which is probably why we're about to get even more AI in search. That includes "information agents" that will do the searching for you. They'll work in the background 24-7 to "find exactly what you need at exactly the right moment," by perusing blogs, news sites, social media posts, and real-time data like finance and sports results to alert you to anything new with a specific query. If it finds anything, you'll get "an intelligent, synthesized update" that you can act on, Google says. It uses the example of someone who's apartment hunting. They "brain dump" all their requirements, "and your agent will continuously scan for you, notifying you when listings meet your needs," Google says. For now, that kind of service will cost you: It's rolling out first this summer for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Google Search Box 2.0 For everyone else, Google is launching what it calls "the biggest upgrade to our Search box in over 25 years" within AI Mode. With its new Gemini 3.5 Flash model, search will be "more intuitive than ever, dynamically expanding to give you space to describe exactly what you need," Google says. You can drop in text, images, files, video, or Chrome tabs for "AI-powered suggestions that go beyond autocomplete." The news prompted serious concern from websites that rely on Google traffic to survive. AI systems like Gemini are pulling the information they present to web users from these sites, and few people click through to check the original source material. That results in plummeting search traffic and revenue. If those sites go under, where will Gemini (and Claude and ChatGPT) get its information? Google argues that this overhaul applies only to AI Mode and that the familiar "blue links" are not going away. However, most Google searches these days include AI Overviews up top, followed by the option to quiz Gemini via AI Mode, and then the traditional blue links. Data from Pew Research last summer found that few people scrolled beyond AI Overviews. Only 8% clicked on a link in the search results, versus 15% among those who did not hit an AI Overview. Speaking of AI Mode, Google is expanding Personal Intelligence to more people in nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages. The feature, which rolled out in the US in March, taps Google apps like Gmail and Photos to provide tailored responses to your queries in the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, and the Gemini side panel in Chrome.

Google explains how it will infuse ads into AI answers

Google's AI-powered transformation of its search engine will give the mega company a more captive audience than ever before - and what better way to turn those eyeballs into cash than by serving up new forms of AI-powered ads? Announcements out of the Chocolate Factory's I/O AI fest continued Wednesday with the premiere of what the company called "a new generation of ads" tailor-made "for the AI era of Search" that it decided you definitely need earlier this week. As we mentioned in our earlier I/O coverage, Google announced what Search VP Elizabeth Reid called the "biggest upgrade in over 25 years" to Google Search. Those changes center on pushing Gemini 3.5 Flash deeper into Search and AI Mode, giving the engine the ability to "anticipate your intent" and surface more detailed AI-generated responses. That doesn't mean AI Mode is being made the default, mind you. Google told The Register that standard search engine result pages are still going to be the default for anyone doing a typical Google search, though AI responses will be served alongside results, we're told. Any web search that returns an AI Overview, on the other hand, will include an option to follow up with the Overview in AI Mode, and AI Mode with rich content input can be selected from the Search box as well. It's here that Google's beefing up its AI, letting it do the searching for you and surface whatever it's been programmed to prioritize in a manner designed to keep you from clicking away, enabling Google to hand you more profit-generating content ... er, helpful results. Those results will include "more helpful ads," which will come in two varieties: Conversational Discovery ads, and Highlighted Answers. Regarding the Conversational Discovery ads, Gemini's responses to specific questions will build ads "tailored to that search, highlighting specific relevant features." Google cites the example of someone searching for a way to make their house smell fresher. Results for such a search could recommend deodorizing your house using, say, a $1 box of baking soda mixed with water or a simple 1:1 vinegar/water mix - or it could tell you how much you need a $20 reed diffuser, electric wax melter, or some other expensive product Google's getting paid to flog. Highlighted Answers, on the other hand, means "highly relevant, high-quality ads are eligible to appear" on lists of recommendations delivered by AI Mode. What meets that threshold wasn't mentioned, but Google told us that it's using similar standards to its existing ad filtering, and the same auction mechanics to get the ads in front of eyeballs. Brands approved for Highlighted Answers will have their recommendations inserted into the end of AI Mode results, Google explained. The feature is currently in testing, with Google telling us it wants its placement to feel natural and add value to users' searches. Of course, just because the standard Google Search mode isn't going away, contrary to the panic that Google's announcements triggered this week, that doesn't mean Google isn't stuffing more AI ads into those results, too. AI-powered shopping ads that use Gemini to "pull up your most relevant products and instantly write a custom explainer highlighting why your product may be the right choice" are coming to Google's standard search results pages in the coming months, as is the ability to "put a smart brand agent right inside your ad." Those ads, for example, could be a chat window that provides answers on the content of a website, Google explained, "turning a practical interaction into a valuable lead." Google said that it's also expanding its Direct Offers program that allows retailers to offer user-tailored discounts and offers on products purchased via Gemini, giving brands more ways to motivate consumers to buy whatever they're flogging without customers ever leaving Google's ecosystem. Businesses that want to use these new AI advertising features will be encouraged to build campaigns around Google's AI Max and Performance Max ad tools, naturally ensuring the Chocolate Factory keeps collecting its cut as it pushes advertisers deeper into the AI era of Search. Google assured us that people actually do want this, and that they really are gravitating toward AI experiences delivered through Google, even though they're not always optional. The Chocolate Factory further told us that, despite ads featuring prominently across its various AI tools, ads never impact organic results. They're just buried behind an ever-growing wall of AI schlock one has to weed through to find actual search results, and now even more ads. ®

Google Search is getting its biggest changes ever

Google Search is entering the next phase of its AI evolution. During Google I/O 2026, the company showed off a reimagined search box that makes it easier to flow between AI Overviews, the AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results, and AI Mode, Google's chatbot-like search experience. Powered by the new Gemini 3.5 Flash model, Google's updated search box expands for longer queries, while offering a new AI-powered autocomplete feature to build on your question. Robby Stein, Google's vice president of product for Search, told The Verge you'll "reliably" see AI Overviews if you ask a natural-language question. Asking follow-up questions in an AI Overview will redirect you to AI Mode, but you can just jump straight into AI Mode by attaching documents, photos, videos, and Chrome tabs to the search box and entering a question. Liz Reid, Google's vice president of Search, said during a briefing that the company wanted to eliminate the "friction" between AI Overviews and AI Mode. "We really work to make that much more seamless and simplified, so that for most users, they don't have to think about where to go, they can just go to the search box they're familiar with and it feels like they get the best experience afterwards," Reid said. The updated search box is rolling out across desktop and mobile devices globally starting on Tuesday. You can still view traditional results only by selecting the "Web" tab in Google Search. Google is also moving toward a future where it does the googling for you. This summer, it will roll out new AI information agents for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers that can monitor topics when you're not online. If you want to keep track of when your favorite band is going on tour, for example, Google's AI agents can look for upcoming shows in the background and then notify you of an update. "You could be asleep, and it's researching, finding information, doing tasks for you," Stein said. These new AI agents can connect to your other Google accounts using Personal Intelligence, allowing them to pull information from apps like Gmail to personalize their response. The updates provided by agents look a bit like the responses you'd get in AI Mode, complete with text, links to the web, and videos. Google is expanding its AI-powered booking feature this summer as well, which will soon be able to schedule local experiences and services on your behalf. The feature can also call certain businesses for you, such as pet groomers, beauty businesses, and home repair services. Search is becoming even more capable in other ways, too, as a new "generative UI" feature arriving in the coming months will help you build custom widgets and apps directly in the search engine. Google's AI Overviews can now code interactive visualizations, such as a diagram showing how a black hole works, and include them in its response. Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers will also gain access to a new feature that allows them to create "super apps" directly in Search. Subscribers can ask Search to create a home fitness tracker, for instance, and connect it with real-time information, like the weather and your calendar. Google will use AI to whip up an app that users can revisit and share with others. "This is really the next generation of what it means to be Search," Stein said. "This is really a moment for AI Search itself to be available to everyone and easy to use for the world, so that they can really ask anything right within Google now."

Google Tips Biggest Upgrade to Its Search Box in 25 Years, 'Reimagined' by AI

Google is pretty jazzed about what AI has done for its search products. The chatbot-like AI Mode, for example, has now topped 1 billion monthly users, it announced at Google I/O today. That might strike fear in the hearts of digital publishers worldwide, but that does not seem to be top of mind for Google. People are "searching more than ever before," it says, which is probably why we're about to get even more AI in our Google search experience. That includes "information agents" that will do the searching for you. They'll work in the background 24-7 to "find exactly what you need at exactly the right moment," by perusing blogs, news sites, social media posts, and real-time data like finance and sports results to alert you to anything new with a specific query. If it finds anything, you'll get "an intelligent, synthesized update" that you can act on, Google says. It uses the example of someone who's apartment hunting. They "brain dump" all their requirements, "and your agent will continuously scan for you, notifying you when listings meet your needs," Google says. For now, that kind of service will cost you: It's rolling out first this summer for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Google Search Box 2.0 For everyone else, Google is launching what it calls "the biggest upgrade to our Search box in over 25 years." With its new Gemini 3.5 Flash model, search will be "more intuitive than ever, dynamically expanding to give you space to describe exactly what you need," Google says. You can drop in text, images, files, video, or Chrome tabs for "AI-powered suggestions that go beyond autocomplete." This intelligent search box arrives today wherever AI Mode is available. Speaking of AI Mode, Google is expanding Personal Intelligence to more people in nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages. The feature, which rolled out in the US in March, taps Google apps like Gmail and Photos to provide tailored responses to your queries in the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, and the Gemini side panel in Chrome.

Google is bringing new AI-powered ad formats to search - Engadget

With Google transforming search into an AI-driven experience, it was only a matter of time before AI ads entered the fray. As part of its Google I/O week announcements, the company previewed how Gemini-powered, conversational ads will start appearing in search results. Fortunately, all of the new AI-generated ad formats will be labeled as "sponsored." Google is testing two new ad types in AI Mode, both powered by "an independent AI explainer." First, Conversational Discovery Ads will appear in AI Mode's answers. The company explains to its advertisers that "your ad answers a person's specific question." (Who among us hasn't dreamed of their questions being answered by ads?) Then there's "highlighted answers," which insert ads into AI Mode's recommendation lists. For example, if you ask it about the best language apps, a sponsored entry for Duolingo might appear. Standard Google Search will also be getting AI ads in the coming months. AI-Powered Shopping Ads are tailored to "big" purchases. (Google's examples include a refrigerator, TV, or espresso machine.) When searching for one of these items, sponsored products will appear in the AI-fueled search results. As the company explains to its advertisers, "Gemini will pull up your most relevant products and instantly write a custom explainer highlighting why your product may be the right choice for them." Then there's Business Agent for Leads. This Gemini-powered ad format places a "smart brand agent" (a custom chatbot that speaks as a company representative) within search ads. For example, a student researching universities might see a box with a "Chat" or "Ask a question" button within a sponsored search result. Finally, Google's Direct Offers feature is expanding to include more personalized deals. You'll start seeing things like AI-powered product bundles, giveaways, and local coupons. Meanwhile, a built-in checkout feature lets you snag deals without leaving search, and you'll also start seeing personalized travel deals within AI-assisted trip planning.

Google is remaking Search in ChatGPT's image

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. Why it matters: Google is determined to make its search engine about more than providing links in response to keywords. Facing competitive pressure from ChatGPT, Copilot, and many others, Google Search will become a portal to the company's generative AI toolchain. Despite questions about the reliability of Google's AI mode, the company has made it crystal clear that they are doubling down on those plans. Starting today, a new "intelligent search box," powered by the company's Gemini 3.5 Flash model, will default to a more conversational mode and dynamically expand as users input complex questions. The new AI mode accepts input from text, images, files, and videos. A new autocomplete system will also attempt to predict what users are asking before they finish typing. As conversations progress, the search box will surface more links while retaining context from prior input. AI mode can now also draw on information from a user's Google apps, including Gmail, Google Photos, and soon Google Calendar. Just how accurate Google Search will be during lengthy conversations remains to be seen. Last month, researchers found that while Gemini 3 provided accurate information most of the time, the small proportion of misinformation it generated still amounted to tens of millions of false statements per day. Google is also integrating AI agents into the search engine for premium subscribers. This summer, Google AI Pro and Ultra members will be able to use agents to scan blogs, news sites, and other web content around the clock for updates on topics they follow. For example, an agent can keep users updated on apartment listings that match their specifications. All users will also be able to ask Google Search to make bookings and call businesses on their behalf this summer. Google is also plugging its Antigravity AI coding platform into the search engine. Free users can build tools such as planners or trackers with custom graphics, while AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US will be able to build more complex mini apps in the coming months. The changes above are just a few of the major announcements from Google's I/O 2026 event. The company also announced updates to its image generation tools and introduced its own take on 24/7 local agents similar to OpenClaw.

Powered by A.I., Google Changes Its Search Box for the First Time in 25 Years

For 25 years, Google's iconic search box was a long, slender bar where people typed in keywords like "World Cup." But over the past three years, artificial intelligence allowed people to type in longer, more complex questions like "Who are the top 24 teams in the World Cup and what chance does the United States have of advancing?" On Tuesday, Google said the A.I. shift inspired it to overhaul its search bar for the first time since 2001. The box is getting bigger and more interactive, so that people can ask even longer questions and upload photographs and videos into queries. In addition, people can ask follow-up questions with a chatbot on Google's main search page. The company will also offer digital assistants, known as agents, to automate searches, so that someone who might be apartment hunting can get notified of a new listing without opening a real estate site like Zillow. The search features will be powered by a new artificial intelligence model, Gemini 3.5 Flash. Google said the model has improved on creating software code and performing autonomous tasks, works faster and is less expensive to run than comparable models. Sundar Pichai, Google's chief executive, said Gemini's speed and affordability made it possible to deliver it broadly -- which will ultimately benefit Google. "When people use our A.I.-powered features in search, they use search more," Mr. Pichai said in an interview Tuesday before Google's annual developer conference, where the changes to search and Gemini 3.5 anchored a nearly two-hour showcase of A.I.-powered products from the company, including a new video tool, an internet shopping cart and a system to autonomously read and draft emails. Google has increasingly narrowed the A.I. head start of rivals like OpenAI and begun challenging for the lead. After OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, Google faced concerns that A.I. start-ups would disrupt its dominance in search. The worries deepened after one of its early A.I. products recommended people use glue to make pizza. But last year, Google solidified its position as an A.I. heavyweight. In addition to its Gemini models, it was producing A.I. chips and pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into data centers for its cloud computing business. Its Gemini app, which can do coding and research, now has 900 million active users -- about the same number as ChatGPT. Google is using A.I. to burrow into more pockets of the digital economy. Web summaries generate more searches, while longer queries provide more insight into users and new shopping features make it easier to connect customers with retailers. Richard Kramer, a financial analyst with Arete Research, said the changes were helping Google make more money from advertising. Last year, Google's ad clicks rose 6 percent, and it charged 7 percent more for each click. The company's annual profit has more than doubled since 2022 to $132 billion. "The open web is on its way out," Mr. Kramer said, referring to the way internet traffic now often begins and ends with a visit to Google rather than visiting other sites. "With A.I., Google is reducing everyone to raw data providers." Google's A.I. transformation particularly stands out with search. In 2024, the company stopped fulfilling some queries with a list of websites and instead provided automatically generated responses called A.I. Overviews. Last year, it added a search tab called A.I. Mode where people can ask multiple questions on the same subject as they would with a chatbot. Google said those features were being combined. On searches that deliver A.I. Overviews, people can ask follow up questions in A.I. Mode, which Mr. Pichai called "a revelation." Google is also bringing one of A.I.'s biggest breakthroughs -- software coding -- to search. When people research complex topics like astrophysics, Gemini can build interactive graphics and simulations behind the scenes to provide a deeper answer than its previous listing of websites. The feature builds on recent products from Anthropic and OpenAI, which created tools that autocomplete code and produce agents to automate email, research and office drudge work. Google said it was introducing an alternative to the agents powered by Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex. Called Gemini Spark, the service is embedded in Gmail, Docs and other Google products where it can turn meeting notes spread across emails and chats into a single document. It can also read and draft emails. The company also unveiled an update to its A.I. coding platform. Called Antigravity 2.0, Google said it would have access to Gemini 3.5 Flash and would be able to deliver huge cost savings for companies that are processing huge chunks of A.I. data daily to write code. While many A.I. labs have pushed their models to accomplish more complex tasks, Google has focused on weaving Gemini more deeply into its already-popular services like shopping and YouTube. Shoppers can now build a cart in search or YouTube as they browse for products, rather than going to a merchant's website to save items for purchase. Google's A.I.-driven shopping cart will also recommend discounts when products go on sale, and warn people when they select items that could be incompatible with each other, such as picking out the wrong chips while building a custom computer, or the wrong filters when shopping for a coffee machine. Google also plans to bring Gemini to photo editing. The company created an editing tool called Gemini Omni that will allow people to, for example, change a vacation video in the Gemini app by telling the system to remove someone from the background. The company said the editing tools will be available in its photos app in the future, as well. Omni doubles as a video-generation tool. Google said it can generate 10-second videos with Hollywood quality, using prompts like asking for "videos that explain a snippet from a textbook" or "render an imaginary character from a sketch." Unlike Sora, a free video generation tool from OpenAI that has been discontinued, only subscribers to one of Google A.I. services -- which range from $8 to $250 a month -- will have access to Omni's video-generation tool. (The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems. The two companies have denied the suit's claims.) Koray Kavukcuoglu, the chief technology officer at Google DeepMind, the company's A.I. lab, said plugging Gemini into Google's products will help the company stay ahead of competitors with information about users' needs. "That feedback, that signal that we get, is the most important information flow that we have," he said. Google also said that it would bring Gemini to glasses this fall with Samsung Electronics and the eyewear companies Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. The glasses, which will work similarly to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, come with a camera, microphone and speakers for people to ask Gemini about their surroundings, such as the name of a monument they are staring at. David Gilboa, a co-chief executive of Warby Parker, said he wore the glasses to ask Gemini for guidance while installing a new car seat for his 3-year-old daughter, and also uses it when she asks the question "Why?" about all sorts of things. "These glasses have been a massive unlock," he said. "I can actually get her accurate information to her questions."

Google Is Slopping Up Search and It Wants You to Talk to the Ads

Worried that the ongoing embrace of artificial intelligence and the acceleration of late-stage capitalism will continue to leave people isolated from each other? Don't worry, you can talk to ads now! According to a report from Search Engine Land, at this year's Google Marketing Live event, the company announced a new generation of "conversational" advertisements that will soon start to populate search results. Google will be rolling out several new ad experiences that will pair with the company's re-imagined and AI-centric search. That includes "Conversational Discovery" ads, which Search Engine Land reports are sponsored results that are designed to look like an answer to a person's query. It'll appear in AI Mode within Google Search and will produce tailored responses with the company's Gemini AI model. So if you've ever found yourself wanting to talk to an advertisement, congratulations, because your strange, specific desire is about to be fulfilled. In addition to the chatty ads, Google will also introduce "Highlighted Answers," which will offer highly relevant promotions that will be displayed in a recommendation list. That, too, will be powered by Gemini and will reportedly appear in Google's standard Search experience. On the consumer side, it's probably just going to feel like more ads. On the business side, Search Engine Land reports that it'll make advertisements more dynamic and targeted instead of static and locked to specific keywords and pre-made copy. While Google is actively trashing its flagship Search product in pursuit of pumping as much AI slop into it as possible, the Wall Street Journal reported that Gemini itself will remain ad-free for the time being. But you'd have to be pretty naive to think that'll remain the case. We're already seeing other companies trying to slip ads into their chatbot interfaces. OpenAI did it, though the results of that experiment would generously be described as mixed and more accurately described as a failure. Turns out corporations are thrilled to pay high rates for ad placements that don't actually seem to get any attention. Of course, Google has been in the ad game for much longer and has a lot of dark arts to tap into that an upstart like OpenAI can'tâ€"like, say, a digital advertising monopoly. Search Engine Land said that Conversational Discovery ads and Highlighted Answers are already being tested on users in the United States and will appear on both mobile and desktop. More AI-powered features for advertisers are expected to roll out later this year. So get ready for the web to get even worse.

Google replaces the search box with AI agents at I/O 2026

For a quarter of a century, Google Search has opened with the same proposition: a blank white rectangle, a blinking cursor, and the implicit instruction to reduce your question to a handful of keywords. On Monday, at its annual I/O developer conference, Google declared that era over. The company unveiled what it calls an "intelligent search box," a dynamically expanding input field powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash that accepts text, images, files, video, and even open Chrome tabs. Rather than returning a list of blue links, the redesigned interface drops users into AI-generated interactive experiences, complete with custom visualisations, tools, and what Google is calling "information agents" that monitor the web around the clock on your behalf. Liz Reid, Google's vice president and head of Search, described the update as "the biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago." The language is deliberate. Google is not tweaking autocomplete; it is reimagining the foundational interaction between its flagship product and the billions of people who use it every month. The numbers framing the announcement are staggering. AI Overviews, the feature that places AI-generated summaries above traditional results, now reaches 2.5 billion monthly users. AI Mode, the conversational search interface launched just a year ago, has crossed one billion monthly users, with queries more than doubling every quarter. For context, OpenAI reported that ChatGPT hit 900 million weekly active users in February 2026. Google's response to that competitive pressure is not to retreat into its legacy format but to push further into agentic territory. Information agents, the headline feature of the announcement, work in the background 24/7, reasoning across blogs, news sites, social posts, and real-time data on finance, shopping, and sports to alert users when something relevant changes. Think of Google Alerts, the 2003-vintage notification tool, rebuilt with a frontier language model's capacity for nuance and inference. Information agents will launch this summer for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States. The new search box, meanwhile, begins rolling out globally this week. Beyond the search box itself, Google introduced "generative UI," a system in which Gemini 3.5 Flash builds custom widgets, simulations, and visual tools on the fly to match a query. Ask about mortgage rates and you might see a live calculator; ask about a hiking trail and you could receive an interactive map with elevation data. Even more ambitious is Antigravity, Google's platform for building agentic experiences, which is being woven directly into Search. Users will be able to describe a "mini-app" in natural language, a custom fitness tracker or a wedding planner, for instance, and Search will code it on the spot, pulling in real-time data from reviews, maps, and local sources. Mini-apps will also arrive this summer for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Generative UI, by contrast, will be free for everyone, a distinction that signals Google's intent to keep its broadest user base engaged while reserving the most capable agentic features for paying customers. The shift carries significant implications for publishers and the broader web ecosystem. If Google's AI can synthesise information, build interactive tools, and dispatch background agents to track changes, the incentive for users to click through to source websites diminishes further. Referral traffic from Google Search has already been declining as AI Overviews expanded, and the new features are likely to accelerate that trend. The European Union is already paying attention. In April, the European Commission published measures requiring Google to share anonymised search data with rival search engines and AI chatbot providers under the Digital Markets Act, with a compliance deadline of 27 July 2026. The more Google's search interface resembles a self-contained AI application, the sharper the regulatory scrutiny is likely to become. None of this is happening in isolation. The broader industry is moving rapidly toward AI-driven search paradigms, with OpenAI, Perplexity, and others building conversational alternatives. Google's advantage remains its scale, 2.5 billion monthly users is a moat few competitors can approach, but the company is clearly betting that the best defence is to make its own product unrecognisable from the one that defined the internet age.

Google's AI Mode just got a lot smarter, and the search box is changing too

Chethan is a reporter at Android Police, focusing on the news coverage for the site. He has covered tech for over a decade for multiple publications, including Times Internet, Guiding Tech, Android Headlines, and several others. His love for Android dates back to the Samsung/Google Nexus S, and his first Android phone was the HTC Desire HD in 2010. Away from work, he's on the lookout for live cricket streams or NBA highlights. He also enjoys the occasional hour or two of console/mobile gaming whenever time permits. The Google Search we knew several years ago is barely recognizable today. This is thanks to the wave of updates brought to Search, supercharged last year with the introduction of AI Mode. Since then, we've seen the tool pick up some powerful upgrades, and at Google I/O this week, the search giant has announced a bevy of additional upgrades to AI Mode. First things first, Google says AI Mode now runs on the freshly announced Gemini 3.5 Flash model by default across the globe. This upgraded model will significantly bolster AI Mode's capabilities, while prepping for what Google calls "the era of Search agents," but more on that later. Related Google's Universal Cart could change how you shop across the entire internet It proactively finds deals, price drops, alternatives, and more Posts By Karandeep Singh Oberoi Additionally, Google is rolling out "the biggest upgrade" to the iconic Search box globally. This updated Search box can expand as you type and help you phrase your questions better with the help of AI-powered suggestions "that go beyond autocomplete." It can handle multiple input sources, including files, text, images, videos, and Chrome tabs. Google says users will continue to see multiple types of results for their queries in Search, just as they do currently. Furthermore, switching to AI Mode from an AI Overview is becoming more seamless, helping you instantly dive into an in-depth conversation while retaining the context from your original query. This enhanced AI Mode experience within AI Overviews is rolling out globally across the web and mobile versions. The big shift to information agents In addition to announcing Gemini Spark, Google is also bringing the agentic experience to Search this summer with what it calls information agents. Here's how Google explains its functioning: Your agent will intelligently look across everything on the web, like blogs, news sites and social posts, plus our freshest data, such as real-time info on finance, shopping and sports, to monitor for changes related to your specific question. Think of information agents as an upgraded version of Google Alerts, with just a sentence or two required to set things in motion in the background. This can be used to track the price of electronics or other items you want to buy, or, as Google's example shows, to keep an eye on the real estate market in a specific area. Information agents will be available this summer, but will be limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Google is also adding more capabilities to agentic booking in Search, which will now include "local experiences and services." Meanwhile, for home repair, beauty, or pet care categories, Google will even place a call to the business to set up an appointment for you. These upgrades to agentic booking will be available to US users in the summer. Agentic coding is coming to Search Perhaps the most exciting addition to Search will be agentic coding, which will generate visuals such as graphs, charts, simulations, and tables, all based on your query. This tool will offer visual explanations of complex concepts, such as how a diesel engine works, as well as other science and tech-related questions that are better answered visually. This particular capability will also roll out this summer, per Google, and will be available to everyone at no cost. But that's not all. Agentic coding will also unlock what Google calls mini apps tailored to specific purposes, such as tracking your daily calorie intake or other self-improvement goals. This will let you build a fully functional tracker or dashboard to monitor/adjust your progress and goals. This agentic coding experience will be available in the "coming months" for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Newsletter: Expert takes on AI Search and agents Subscribe to the newsletter for expert analysis and actionable explainers on AI-powered Search: clear context, practical takeaways, and step-by-step guidance to help you understand and apply the platform's evolving capabilities. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Lastly, Google is expanding Personal Intelligence in AI Mode to additional regions and languages, though it's currently limited to Gmail and Google Photos. However, support for Calendar is expected to arrive imminently.

Beyond blue links: Google redesigns Search around AI agents and Gemini

Google said AI Mode now has more than one billion monthly users, with query volumes more than doubling every quarter since launch. The company is also replacing the traditional Search experience with a redesigned AI-first search box powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash. Instead of typing short keywords, users can now interact with Search using longer conversational prompts, images, files, videos, and even Chrome tabs. The system can also maintain context across follow-up questions while surfacing increasingly relevant sources and links. The biggest shift comes from Google's new "Search agents," autonomous AI systems designed to continuously monitor the web and complete ongoing tasks for users. According to Google, these agents can track apartment listings, monitor product drops, follow sports updates, and deliver synthesized updates based on user-defined preferences.

Google shoves more AI into Search, including a dynamic Search box and agentic features - Engadget

Google Search is becoming even more of a showpiece for its AI ambitions. Today at Google I/O 2026, the company announced that Search has been upgraded to the Gemini 3.5 Flash model, which it says offers faster inferencing, smarter results and the ability to process different types of media. As a result, Google is also launching a new Intelligent Search Box that can dynamically get larger to fit complex queries, as well as use videos, images, files and even Chrome tabs as inputs. None of this is a surprise, though. Over the past year, we've seen Google slowly upgrade the AI mode in Search -- now, the company is just making an AI a more essential part of searching the web. That's good news for users who like the more conversational capabilities of Google's AI, but it's even worse news for the people who are trying to maintain the simple purity of Google's original search engine. There's no word on if you'll be able to turn off any of the new AI features -- it was already tough to get rid of earlier AI search capabilities. The new Google Search features, which the company says are its biggest changes to the search box in 25 years, are available to use today. "It's more intuitive than ever, dynamically expanding to give you space to describe exactly what you need," Liz Reid, Google's head of Search, said in a blog post. "Designed to anticipate your intent, it also helps you formulate your question with AI-powered suggestions that go beyond autocomplete." As you'd expect, your AI queries won't be as ephemeral as old school search prompts. The company says you'll be able to continue asking questions after your initial prompts, and that doing so should lead to more refined results. We'll need to take a closer look at Google's revamped Search to see if the company's claims are true, but at first glance, it sounds like it could be a smart way to entice users to spend more time with the its AI tools.That's exactly what Google wants, of course. For its paying Gemini Pro and Ultra users, the company also plans to launch a slew of new agentic capabilities this summer. Like other agentic AI features, these are meant to run on their own after initial prompting. Upcoming information agents, for example, should be able to scour the web for specific apartments after you've told Search what you're looking for. The agents will be able to view "everything" on the web, according to Reid, including "blogs, news sites and social posts, plus our freshest data, such as real-time info on finance, shopping and sports." In a way, the new agentic Search sounds like a souped-up version of Google Alerts, which has been one of the easiest ways to keep track of keywords popping up on the web for the past two decades. The big difference now is that you're looking for more complex information than a mere text string, and Google's AI should be able to format its findings in more useful ways. Free users will get a handful of agentic updates in the summer, as well, including the ability to book "local experiences and services." The company claims you'll be able to search for something like a karaoke room, find accurate pricing and complete your booking. You can also have Google call certain businesses for appointments, similar to the Duplex AI feature that launched with Google Assistant back in 2018. Let's just hope it's less jarring -- Duplex AI sounded far too robotic, and it could be confusing to local business owners who have no idea why a Google robot is calling them. The company also plans to bring its agentic coding app, Antigravity, into Search this summer. You'll be able to have Antigravity build generative UI elements to answer questions, like understanding how your watch works, according to Google. Even more intriguing, the company claims you can use Antigravity to build "mini apps" within Search, which could do something like build a custom fitness tracker just for you. That feature will initially head to Google AI Pro and Ultra users in the US "in the coming months. Clearly, the goal for Google is to turn Search into more of a centerpiece of your life, instead of just being a thing you use briefly to find other websites. We've already seen this in action with existing AI summaries, which recap information without even needing to visit another site. Again, I haven't tested any of the new Search features, so I can't quite judge if they live up to Google's expectations. But bringing Antigravity into Search could be an easy way to make users accustomed to the idea of generative coding. It won't be for everyone, but I could see power users leaning into it. The company says it's also expanding its Personal Intelligence in AI Mode to nearly 200 countries and 98 languages, without the need for a subscription. The feature lets you connect Gemini to your Gmail, Photos and Calendar information, with the goal of delivering more accurate results. The company stresses that "you're always in control" of these features, since you can specifically choose to connect your accounts. But given how much Google wants to take the lead in consumer AI, I wouldn't be surprised if the company starts opting in all of your accounts by default.

Google Search is turning into an AI assistant -- and it doesn't want you to leave

The company plans direct restaurant reservations and payments within search, effectively blurring the distinction between traditional search and AI assistance to keep users within Google's ecosystem. What is search, anyway? At Google I/O this week, Google made that question even harder to answer, as Search absorbed more of Gemini's AI capabilities and moved further beyond the familiar list of blue links. For decades, we directed Google or Bing to fetch us a list of pages, in which we could find the answers we seek. Now "search" engines are acting more like butlers, anticipating what we want before we want it, based on what they know about us. It's not too much of a stretch to anticipate that "search" and "AI" are blurring, and probably will simply merge at some point. As announced at I/O, Google Search tool is soaking up even more of Google's AI capabilities, with an expanded search box plus personal agents, while Gemini itself is taking on more of the tasks, such as delivering a daily brief, that I would normally associate with a personal aide or attaché. Today, what we might have called "notifications" in past eras are now the domain of agents. Google wants you to ask them to keep their eyes open for, well, the sky's the limit -- low plane fares, news about Taylor Swift, updates from your apartment complex, and so on. And there are two key things Google is adding to its pantheon of products: search agents, and specifically a "personal" agent called Spark. It's hard to separate one from the other, just like it's a challenge to distinguish Gemini within Google's Workspace apps from the Gemini app itself. They're just blending together. The rise of agents continues My colleague Ben Patterson will tell you more about the ins and outs of Spark, but this is the short version: it's Google's new "24/7, personal agent" that works on your behalf. Right now, it's apparently somewhat basic, where you can have it set recurring tasks or triggers, or teach it skills like checking your inbox for updates from the school your kids attend. Over time, however, Google has a roadmap of features planned for Spark, just like any of its other properties. Of more use, I think, is what Google calls a "daily brief." If that sounds familiar, it might: Microsoft built in a daily summary of your upcoming events as part of Windows 10's Cortana, and -- once Cortana was headed for the graveyard -- tried to move this feature into the mobile Outlook app. I can't say which one would have come out on top, but I applaud the effort. "It goes far beyond a simple summary," according to a blog post by Josh Woodward, the vice president of Google Labs and the Gemini app. "Daily Brief actively organizes and prioritizes based on your specific goals, even suggesting immediate next steps." Of course, there's no telling whether the daily brief will prove effective. Not surprisingly, it benefits from connections to Gmail, your calendar, and other connected Google apps. It also requires a subscription, though it's available to the AI Plus tier as well as the more rarified Pro and Ultra subscription models. Search, Gemini: Are they on a collision course? As you might imagine, I'm less fond of AI Mode, Google's controversial revamp of its search function. Like virtually everything else in Google's ecosystem, Google Search includes "personal intelligence," mining your life for additional context. Google now says that AI Mode, which grudgingly links back to the original source of its knowledge, has landed one billion users. Google is expanding the search box, literally, at least on its mobile implementations. This will allow for longer, more involved queries where you can see the entirety of the prompt, add files, and so on. The upshot is that Google doesn't want you to search for "best laptop;" it would rather you input something like "the best laptop like the one that my cousin Mike had last summer at the house in Maine, but under $1,500," with everything from text, images, video, to even Chrome tabs as potential inputs. At this point, the line between a 'search' and a 'prompt' blurs even further, especially when Search and AI Mode allow follow-up conversations. AI Mode, heavy on the "AI." The new implementation is live, today, where AI Mode is already implemented. I can see the impact of AI Mode on our business, and it isn't good. But I can't be as down on Google's agentic search capabilities. Generally speaking, the industry has come up with numerous ways to facilitate ongoing searches. Steam and Amazon offer you the choice to "wishlist" a particular item, tracking its pricing and notifying you when it's on sale. So far, Microsoft still implements "Collections" of stored tabs, where you can research and store an ongoing project, like a summer vacation. (Like Google, Microsoft is pushing you to adopt Copilot to take over manual tab storage and replace it with an AI summary.) Agentic search used to be called "notifications," where you could tell Google to monitor a topic and it would track it for you. Now Google Search is adding "search agents," which will essentially monitor an existing question and provide answers. "With information agents, you can stay updated on whatever matters most to you.," according to a blog post by Liz Reid, the head of search for Google. "Your agent will intelligently look across everything on the web, including blogs, news sites, social posts, and the freshest data, such as real-time information on finance, shopping, and sports, to monitor for changes related to your specific question." Beginning this summer, you'll also be able to allow Google to reserve restaurants and other venues -- and even pay. The latter has been a capability where AI has feared to tread, but Google is setting out to make it happen. Google is also essentially using its own version of Claude Code, called Antigravity, to build small "apps" right within search itself. Google's not really building an app that will allow you to do something. Instead, it's using Antigravity to create small visual explanations of how a specific task could be completed or how a concept actually plays out in the real world, such as a black hole's effect on time and space or how a Roman aqueduct may have been constructed. I don't have any vacations planned for the near future, but I could absolutely see agentic search being used to answer questions like "who is the current leader in the California governor's race polling?" or 'how much money has OpenAI raised in 2026?" Like it or not, Google is one of the architects of the modern search experience, and how we look for and acquire information. Anecdotally, Google still has 90 percent of the world's search traffic, according to StatCounter. The issue, of course, is how the problem is defined -- how many people are simply "searching" via ChatGPT or Claude? Ongoing agent-based searches and conversational followups will keep users within Google's fold, where its management is desperate that they remain.

Google gets 'intelligent' Search box redesign, information agents, mini apps, & more

Google Search received big updates at I/O 2026. For starters, AI Mode is now powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash globally and has over 1 billion users every month. Google is introducing a new intelligent Search box that expands the more you type. Billed as the "biggest upgrade to [the] Search box in over 25 years," it reflects how people have longer and more conversational queries. This experience features new AI-powered query suggestions that go beyond autocomplete by anticipating your intent. Underneath the text box, you'll have new shortcuts to access AI Mode, Talk (Search Live), and Create (Nano Banana in Google Lens). The 'plus' menu lets you upload images (Gallery + Camera) and documents (Files) to the query. This new intelligent Search box is rolling out starting May 19. Google is also globally rolling out the seamless transition between AI Overviews and AI Mode when you tap "Show more" on the results page. New agentic capabilities are coming to Search. Google announced "information agents" that work in the background 24/7. You'll get an "intelligent, synthesized update, with the ability to take action." With information agents, you can stay updated on whatever matters most to you. Your agent will intelligently look across everything on the web, like blogs, news sites and social posts, plus our freshest data, such as real-time info on finance, shopping and sports, to monitor for changes related to your specific question. This will be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer. Agentic coding in Search will leverage the latest Gemini models and Google Antigravity to build custom dynamic layouts and interactive visuals. Whether you want to wrap your mind around astrophysics or visualize how your watch works, Search can design custom layouts, assembling components (like interactive visuals, tables, graphs or simulations) in real-time. Generative UI is coming to all users for free this summer. Search will soon be able to build custom dashboards and trackers for continuous tasks, "like planning a wedding or managing a home move." These "mini apps for your own specific tasks" will be available in the coming months for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.

Google Search just got the biggest makeover in nearly 30 years -- here's the biggest upgrades

Google Search is getting AI agents, generative UI, and a redesigned Search box. Google's biggest product is still Search. During its last earnings call, the company said Google Search queries had reached an all-time high, helping the business grow by 19%. Google has also been steadily adding new AI-focused features to Search, including AI Mode, which was introduced at last year's I/O. And today at Google I/O 2026, Search is getting what the company calls its biggest upgrade in nearly 30 years. It's much bigger than just a redesign of the Search box. Search is becoming far more conversational, multimodal, proactive, and even capable of generating custom interfaces and tools in real time. Google has long offered autocomplete suggestions, but now it's expanding that experience into AI Mode as well. The company says Search can better understand natural language queries and surface much smarter suggestions that go well beyond basic autocomplete. The biggest visual and functional change, though, is how Google is putting multimodal inputs front and center. Users will now be able to search using combinations of text, images, videos, files, and even Chrome tabs. Google says the Search interface can dynamically expand depending on the complexity of your query while also surfacing AI-powered suggestions in real time. Search agents can now monitor information 24/7 Google is also introducing Search agents. These AI agents can continuously operate in the background 24/7 to monitor information, track changes, and send updates automatically without requiring users to repeatedly search for the same thing. For example, you could create agents to track stock market movements based on specific conditions or monitor apartment listings matching your exact preferences. These agents continue working in the background and notify you whenever something changes. Think of it like Google Flights price tracking, but expanded to almost anything you repeatedly search for. Google says these information agents will launch later this summer for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. first. Search can now generate custom mini apps in real time Another major addition is something Google calls "agentic coding in Search." Powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash and Google's Antigravity system, Search can now dynamically generate custom visualizations, simulations, interfaces, and widgets in real time depending on the question you're asking. For example, if you search for something related to astrophysics, Search could generate an interactive visualization alongside the search results to help explain the concept visually. Google says these visuals will even update dynamically as users continue asking follow-up questions. These generative AI capabilities are expected to roll out to all Google Search users later this summer. But that's not all. Google is also letting users build persistent mini apps and dashboards directly inside Search for themselves. For example, users could create custom fitness dashboards pulling together weather data, maps, meal plans, reviews, calendar events, and more. Google says similar tools could also be built for things like wedding planning, moving, or other long-term projects. These mini apps will initially launch only in the U.S. for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Google says all of these upgrades are powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash, which is now becoming the default model powering AI Mode inside Google Search globally. Want to know more about everything revealed at today's event? Check out our Google I/O 2026 live blog for up-to-the-minute announcements and reactions. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.

Google Search Is Dead. Welcome to the Era of the 'Intelligent Search Box'

Google is turning Search into a fully AI-infused experience. On Tuesday, the tech giant announced an AI makeover of its most popular function. "Now, we're entering the next chapter of Google Search, where incredible AI features aren't just in Search; Google Search is AI Search through and through," Elizabeth Reid, who leads Search at Google, said at the company's annual I/O conference. "We're entering the era of search agents now." Some of the most front-facing changes are hitting the Search box. Powered by the company's latest Gemini model, the new AI-infused search box will allow users to put images, files, videos, or even Chrome tabs as input. If you still opt to search via text, the Search box will go beyond the regular auto-complete to use AI-powered suggestions for your queries. The results page will still look relatively the same, at least if you search via text, but now, if you ask the AI Overview feature any follow-up questions, you will get redirected to AI Mode. Using Google's Personal Intelligence feature, the new AI-embedded Search will also be able to access apps throughout Google's portfolio, like Gmail or Google Calendar. "This is the biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago, and is starting to roll out today," Reid said. The tech giant's bet on agentic search also includes AI agents embedded in the Search experience, which are also debuting later this summer. That includes what Reid called information agents, which the user can assign to specific tasks like finding an apartment for rent in a specific neighborhood and under a certain budget or keeping an eye on stock prices. The agents will work on the tasks "24/7 in the background," Reid said, and send you updates when an apartment that fits your needs hits the market, or there is a notable move in a stock you kept your eye on. Alongside the information agents, Google also announced that users can now build "mini apps" to accomplish specific tasks. For example, if you're trying to lose weight, you can ask Search to build a fitness tracker. It will create a custom dashboard that you can come back to again whenever you need to ask a related question. The custom "mini app" functions will be available in the coming months, Google said, first being released to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. The changes are a long time coming. Google first infused AI into its search function with AI Overviews back in May 2024. Then, a year later at the 2025 I/O conference, the tech giant unveiled AI Mode. Since then, Reid says AI mode has surpassed more than 1 billion monthly users, with AI mode queries "more than doubling every quarter since launch." Generative AI was also expected to come for the throne of general search engines at one point. So much so that, last year, Google was awarded a win in an antitrust trial, despite the Judge previously declaring that the tech giant’s search business was a monopoly. In the ruling, the court decided that although chatbots are not yet close to replacing search engines, that is where the industry was expected to evolve. The rise of generative and agentic AI has already significantly disrupted the internet. Experts widely claim that search engine optimization is now pretty much dead, as users lazily rely on AI summaries to find information, despite persistent hallucinations. Meanwhile, the new features in Search are bound to increase the share of online traffic that's run by bots. Artificial intelligence's online dominance has, in turn, jeopardized the business models of many companies and organizations that rely on clicks to stay afloat. Since its founding, Google Search has become the primary digital front door of the internet for users around the world. Now, with the latest AI revamp, Google is changing the locks.

Google launches always-on information agents in Search at I/O 2026

Google has spent more than two decades refining a product built on a simple premise: you type a question, it returns a list of links. At I/O 2026 on Monday, the company signalled that premise is no longer enough. Among the biggest announcements was a new category of AI-powered tools called information agents, persistent, background processes that monitor the web on a user's behalf and surface relevant findings without being asked. The feature, which lives inside AI Mode in Google Search, represents what the company describes as the next evolution of Google Alerts, the email-based notification service it launched back in 2003. Where Alerts could tell you that a new web result matched your search terms, information agents can synthesise data from multiple sources, explain why a development matters, compare competing perspectives, and deliver actionable takeaways, all without the user lifting a finger. The shift is conceptual as much as it is technical. Traditional search is reactive: it waits for you to show up with a question. Information agents are designed to operate continuously in the background, around the clock, reasoning across information to find what you need at the right moment. Google has been positioning Search as an "agent manager" for months, and this is the clearest consumer-facing expression of that vision yet. To get started, users open AI Mode in the Google Search app and enter a natural-language prompt. Google offered one example: "keep me updated on nearby movie tickets for The Mandalorian and Grogu." From that point, the agent runs autonomously, monitoring the web and sending push notifications through the Google app whenever it finds something worth flagging. All actively tracked topics remain visible in a user's AI Mode history, so nothing gets lost. Google is pitching information agents as useful across a wide range of everyday scenarios. A stock-market agent, for instance, could monitor trading activity, track breaking financial news, summarise quarterly earnings reports, and alert a user to major price swings. Other suggested use cases include tracking flight prices, following live sports and entertainment events, monitoring breaking news, watching housing and job market trends, and checking weather and traffic conditions. The breadth of those examples points to an ambition that goes well beyond what Google Alerts ever attempted. Rather than a simple keyword-match-and-email system, information agents are meant to function as a kind of always-on research assistant, one that not only notices changes but understands what they mean. Information agents were not the only Search news at I/O 2026. Google also unveiled what it called the biggest change to its search box in more than 25 years, an "intelligent" redesign that dynamically expands to accommodate longer, more conversational queries. The box now includes an AI-powered suggestion system that goes beyond traditional autocomplete, attempting to anticipate intent and help users formulate more precise questions. It also accepts multimodal inputs, including text, images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs. Taken together, the announcements paint a picture of a company that sees conventional search, the ten blue links, the keyword-stuffed query bar, as a transitional technology. Google I/O 2026 was dominated by Gemini-powered features across virtually every product line, and Search is no exception. The new AI Mode default model is Gemini 3.5 Flash, now available globally. Information agents will roll out this summer, initially to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States. Additional markets will follow, though Google has not provided a specific timeline. The intelligent search box, meanwhile, is starting to appear in all countries and languages where AI Mode is currently available. The subscriber-first rollout is notable. It suggests Google views these agents as a premium feature, at least for now, and is using its paid tiers as a proving ground before wider availability. That strategy mirrors the company's recent approach with agentic capabilities in Chrome Enterprise, where AI-powered browsing features debuted behind a paywall before broader distribution. Google is not the only tech giant betting on agentic AI. OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft have all announced or shipped autonomous agent features in recent months. But Google's advantage, at least on paper, is distribution. With more than one billion monthly users in AI Mode and 750 million Gemini app users as of late 2025, it has an enormous installed base to push these tools to, and the search infrastructure to feed them. The question is whether users actually want their search engine to take initiative. Google Alerts, for all its longevity, was never a mainstream hit. Most people still search on demand, when they need something. Information agents are a bet that, given a smarter, more capable tool, that habit will change, that users will delegate the monitoring they currently do manually (or, more often, simply forget to do) to an AI that never sleeps. Whether that bet pays off will depend on how well the agents perform in practice, how noisy or useful their notifications turn out to be, and whether the paywall dampens adoption before the feature can prove its value. For now, Google has made its intentions clear: the future of search is not a query and a list of links. It is an agent that already knows what you want before you ask.

Google Search is changing forever. Here's what that actually means.

At last year's Google I/O event, we (and most outlets) modestly declared that the Google Search we had known for the past 20 years was dead. Fast forward a year, and it's still really, really dead. Not to beat on a dead horse or anything, but with I/O 2026, Google firmly established that Search is and will be built on Gemini and artificial intelligence. Search is no longer a place you go to find a link. It's becoming a place you go to have an AI handle the whole thing for you. Based on everything Google announced at I/O 2026, the way people find information on the internet is about to look fundamentally different. Whether any of this is actually useful depends on the person being asked, but Google wants to fundamentally change how we navigate the internet. AI Overviews have been chipping away at web traffic since they launched, and everything Google announced this week accelerates that trend. When Search agents are scanning the web 24/7 on your behalf, when AI Mode is handling your follow-up questions, when the search box is expanding to accept entire paragraphs of context -- the implicit promise is that you won't need to click through to anyone's website to get what you need. Google gets the query, Google surfaces the answer, and the publisher who wrote the piece that informed that answer gets nothing. This fight between online content publishers and Google has been raging since last year, when the whole thing was dubbed the "traffic apocalypse." Google, of course, has pushed back on the framing that publishers are getting the short end of the stick, arguing that users who do click links after seeing AI Overviews engage more deeply with those sites. That may be true in a narrow sense, but it sidesteps the larger issue -- fewer people are clicking at all. That pushback comes from a Wall Street Journal report from June 2025. In it, Neil Vogel, CEO of Dotdash Meredith -- the company behind People and Southern Living -- told the Journal that Google search went from driving roughly 60 percent of their traffic at the time of their 2021 merger down to about a third. The floor, based on everything announced at I/O this week, hasn't been found yet. Publishers are responding by pivoting toward direct relationships with readers -- newsletters, events, apps, subscriptions -- anything that doesn't depend on Google as a middleman. That's a reasonable long-term strategy, but a fundamental restructuring of how digital media works. The AI Search Box -- the first redesign of Google's search bar in over 25 years -- is built for conversations now. You can drop in images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs alongside a long-form prompt and let Google figure out what you're actually asking. Obviously, this is a massive shift in how we search on the internet. Google searching used to be about compression. To ask our questions in the fewest possible words. The entire discipline of SEO was built around the assumption that people type short, imprecise fragments into a box, and that it's Google's job to interpret them. "Flights NYC to LA." "Best running shoes 2026." "Symptoms of strep throat." Now Google is actively dismantling that habit. With the expanded search box, Google wants you to stop translating your thoughts into keyword-ese and just talk to it. Tell it you're planning a trip, attach your calendar, upload a photo of the hotel you're considering, and let Gemini piece it all together. The idea being that the more context you give it, the more helpful the AI is. And that's true to an extent, but it's more information you're giving Google, and more data for them to collect. The company spent $68 million earlier this year settling a lawsuit after it was alleged that Google's Google Assistant recorded "private conversations without permission." Whether users are ready to hand over that level of context -- and whether Google has earned that trust -- is a question the keynote didn't really address. For all the polish Google put on its AI features at I/O, one thing conspicuously absent from the keynote was any serious reckoning with accuracy. AI Overviews have a documented history of surfacing confidently wrong information, and the new conversational follow-up feature essentially lets you go deeper into an AI-generated summary without necessarily verifying the foundation it's built on. Gmail VP Blake Barnes touched on this in his conversation with Mashable's Haley Henschel, noting that Gmail Live is being built with sourcing so users can check which emails informed the AI's response. That's a reasonable approach for a personal inbox tool. But for a broader search across the entire web, the bar for scrutiny needs to be higher due to the risk of misinformation and disinformation. As Google hands over more of the search experience to AI, the burden of fact-checking shifts more squarely onto users. That's worth keeping in mind every time an AI Overview tells you something with complete confidence. The agentic push across everything Google announced this week, like Spark running your life in the background, Search agents monitoring the web on your behalf, and AI that can call businesses, make purchases, and book reservations, is the early infrastructure of something that looks a lot like what the AI research community means when it talks about AGI-adjacent systems. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis described Gemini Omni at I/O as a meaningful step toward AGI -- artificial general intelligence, the theoretical point at which an AI system can perform any intellectual task a human can. That framing was almost a throwaway line in the context of a video generation demo, which is exactly what makes it worth paying attention to. Google's answer to the obvious concern about that -- what stops it from doing something you didn't want -- is the Agent Payments Protocol and a set of configurable limits that give administrators ultimate control over the AI. Josh Woodward, VP of Google Labs, described the philosophy as being like handing a teenager their first debit card. That's a candid framing, and in some ways a reassuring one. But it also acknowledges that the trajectory is toward more autonomy, not less. The guardrails are explicitly described as temporary. Right now, when Gemini gets something wrong in a search summary, the stakes are relatively low. As these systems take on more -- scheduling, purchasing, monitoring, acting -- the cost of a confident wrong answer goes up considerably. Google wasn't having that conversation on stage at I/O. That's the one worth having now.

'This new search box does not mean that you'll only get AI responses': Google's Search makeover incorporates yet more AI, but Google promises to leave room for classic results

Google has been synonymous with search for more than 25 years, and so how it reimagines search matters to billions of people who rely on its powerful knowledge graph. In recent years, we've seen the steady encroachment of AI Overviews and AI mode on our search experience. Now, though the transition to inserting AI into your search results seems complete, I worry that this might alter Google Search in ways that no one wants or can reverse. Google, however, tells me that's not the case. First, Google is now on record saying that in this next chapter of search, the change it unveiled during its Google I/O 2026 keynote is, according to Google Search lead Liz Reid, "truly the biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago." That's heady, terrifying, and maybe a bit of hyperbole. What's promised is a new search box that not only effortlessly expands to support your most long-winded queries but also carries intelligence that lets it decide on the fly what kind of AI smarts might help answer your, well, let's call it what it is: a prompt. If that sounds like AI Mode is now inside the classic Google Search box, I think you're right. In the demo video I saw, I didn't even see the current "AI Mode" iconography. And instead of basic autocomplete, the new search box has AI-powered query suggestions and multi-modal capabilities (throw in some images and ask a question). Google vs. OpenAI If Google's long-term effort was to make AI, specifically, various Gemini models, inescapable in Search, I think the work is nearly complete. I don't blame Google for doing this. After all, OpenAI's ChatGPT has been surging in recent years, with some people saying they "Chatted" instead of "Googled". Verb status aside, ChatGPT, though rising, remains by one measure at less than 25% of the search market, while Google hovers around 80%. But ChatGPT's trajectory is unmistakable in Google's eyes. It has no choice but to deeply infuse traditional search with AI. How much AI, though, is too much? There remains a large contingent who want nothing to do with AI from Google or ChatGPT. I wondered if they could opt out, and during a Google I/O 2026 pre-brief, I posed the question to Google. Later, I got an email reply from a Google representative. "The AI dimension of the Search box is giving you quick access to AI tools, and an updated query suggestion system that helps you formulate long questions, where an AI response is likely the most helpful. Using this new search box does not mean that you will only get AI responses - you'll continue to get a range of results on Search." What's notable is that there is no "No, I'd rather not" option here. You can't opt out of the Intelligent Search Box. But that doesn't mean your search results won't still include some of the classic link and summary results you've known and loved since 1998. As a Google spokesperson promised, "No matter what you ask, you'll continue to get a range of results from Search, just like you do today." Those results, though, will likely be below the AI Overviews that already sit atop those classic results. If anything, Overviews may be even richer and more accurate thanks to the intelligent query guidance you received in the search box. Scrolling down below them might be pointless. It doesn't take much imagination to envision a future in which the AI Overviews are your Google Search results, and there is nothing below because it's not as useful, or at least it doesn't "speak" to you in the same way the overviews do. They seem to get you because they're designed to respond to your intention in a way that traditional search results could never do. For some, this is progress. For me? The jury's still out. What about you? Share your thoughts on Google's new Intelligent Search Box in the comments below. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Google just redesigned the search box for the first time in 25 years -- here's why it matters more than you think.

For a quarter century, the Google search box has been one of the most recognizable interfaces in computing: a thin white rectangle, a blinking cursor, a few typed words, and a list of blue links. On Tuesday, Google will formally retire that paradigm. At its annual I/O developer conference, Google announced a sweeping redesign of the search box itself -- the literal text field where billions of queries begin every day -- transforming it from a simple keyword input into a dynamic, AI-driven conversation starter that can accept text, images, PDFs, videos, and even open Chrome tabs as inputs. The company is also merging its AI Overviews and AI Mode features into a single, seamless search flow, eliminating the friction that previously forced users to choose between a traditional results page and an AI-forward experience. Liz Reid, Google's vice president and head of Search, called it "the biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago" during a press briefing on Monday. The announcement arrived alongside a blizzard of other news -- new Gemini models, a personal AI agent called Spark, an intelligent shopping cart, a reimagined developer platform -- but the search box redesign may prove to be the most consequential. It is the clearest signal yet that Google views the future of its flagship product not as a place where users type fragmented keywords, but as an interface where they hold open-ended, multimodal conversations with an AI system backed by the entire web. The new search box expands, accepts files, and coaches you on what to ask The changes show a fundamental shift in how Google expects people to interact with the product that generates the vast majority of Alphabet's revenue. The box itself now dynamically expands to accommodate longer, more conversational queries. Where the old interface subtly encouraged brevity -- a narrow field suited to two- or three-word keyword strings -- the new design invites users to fully articulate complex questions in granular detail. It also now supports multimodal inputs directly. Users can upload images, PDFs, files, and videos, or drag in content from Chrome tabs, right from the main search interface. Previously, some of these capabilities existed in AI Mode, but reaching them required extra steps. Now they sit at the primary entry point. Google is also deploying what it describes as an AI-powered query suggestion system that "goes beyond autocomplete." Rather than simply predicting the next word a user might type based on popular searches, the system helps users formulate complex, nuanced queries -- essentially coaching them toward the kind of detailed questions that AI Mode handles best. The new search box is starting to roll out immediately in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available. Google is merging AI overviews and AI mode into one seamless experience Perhaps more significant than the box itself is the architectural change happening behind it. Google is unifying AI Overviews -- the AI-generated summary panels that appear atop traditional search results -- with AI Mode, the more immersive conversational search experience the company launched at I/O one year ago. Starting Tuesday, this merged experience will be live across mobile and desktop worldwide. A user can type a question, receive an AI Overview alongside traditional results, and then continue directly into a back-and-forth AI Mode conversation to ask follow-up questions -- all without navigating to a separate interface. Reid explained the logic during the press briefing: the new AI search box is "an upgrade of our traditional search box, and so the results take you directly to main search rather than AI mode." She noted that while some power users actively sought out AI Mode, "for most users, they don't actually want to have to think about, do they want more of a traditional page or an AI-forward search experience." The goal, she said, was to ensure that "for most users, they don't have to think about where to go, they can just go to the search box they're familiar with, and it feels like they get the best experience afterwards." One billion users and doubling queries reveal how fast search behavior is shifting Google's decision to redesign the foundational interface of its most important product did not happen in a vacuum. The company shared a set of usage statistics during the briefing that reveal just how rapidly user behavior is already changing. AI Mode, which launched in the United States at I/O 2025, has surpassed one billion monthly users in its first year. AI Mode queries have been doubling every quarter since launch. AI Overviews, the lighter-weight AI summaries, now reach more than 2.5 billion monthly users. And overall search query volume hit an all-time high last quarter -- a data point the company had previously disclosed on its earnings call. Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, framed these figures as evidence that AI features are additive, not cannibalistic, to search usage. "When people use our AI-powered features in search, they use search more," he said. He added that he loves "how search has become less about individual queries and feels more like an ongoing conversation, giving users deeper insights and connecting you with the vastness of the web." Reid reinforced the point: "It's not just that people are searching more, it's that they're searching differently. They're fully expressing their questions in granular detail, asking those follow-up questions and searching across modalities." Gemini 3.5 Flash gives Google's AI search the speed it needs to work at scale Under the hood, the new search experience runs on Gemini 3.5 Flash, Google's newest AI model, which the company also introduced at I/O. Google upgraded AI Mode's underlying model to 3.5 Flash to deliver what Reid described as "an even more powerful AI search experience." Gemini 3.5 Flash is the workhorse of this year's announcements. Google claims it outperforms its previous frontier model, Gemini 3.1 Pro, on nearly all benchmarks while running four times faster in output tokens per second than comparable frontier models. Pichai described it as being "in a league of its own in the top right quadrant" of the Artificial Analysis index, which plots intelligence against speed -- meaning it delivers near-frontier quality at dramatically lower latency. That speed matters enormously for search. A conversational AI search experience that feels sluggish would be dead on arrival for a product that serves billions of queries daily. By coupling the redesigned interface with a model optimized for both quality and throughput, Google is attempting to make AI-powered search feel as instantaneous as the old keyword experience -- while being dramatically more capable. Search can now build interactive visuals and custom mini apps on the fly The redesigned search box is also the gateway to a set of new capabilities that push search far beyond text-based answers. Google announced what it calls "generative UI" -- the ability for search to dynamically build custom widgets, interactive visualizations, and even mini applications in real time, tailored to a user's specific question. Reid offered a concrete example during the briefing: a user could ask "How do black holes affect space time?" and receive an interactive visual in an AI Overview that brings the concept to life. Follow-up questions would trigger the system to dynamically generate entirely new visuals in real time. This is possible, she explained, because of "a novel real-time code generation system we built in partnership with the Google DeepMind team" that runs on Gemini 3.5 Flash. Generative UI capabilities will roll out to everyone this summer, free of charge. But Google is going further still. For ongoing tasks -- planning a wedding, organizing a move, tracking a fitness routine -- users will be able to build what the company describes as customizable, stateful experiences within search, powered by its Antigravity development platform. These require no coding expertise. Users simply describe what they want in natural language, and search builds it. Those experiences will be available in coming months, starting with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States. AI agents that monitor the web around the clock are coming to search results The redesign also opens the door to what Google calls "information agents" -- AI agents that users can configure directly within search to monitor the web 24/7 for specific conditions and deliver synthesized updates when those conditions are met. A user could, for example, set up an agent to track market movements in a particular sector with specific parameters. The agent would create a monitoring plan, tap into real-time finance data, and proactively notify the user when conditions are met -- complete with links and context for further research. Other use cases include apartment hunting, tracking sneaker drops, or monitoring any topic a user cares about. Information agents will launch first for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer. These agents sit within a much larger strategic pivot that Google articulated throughout the briefing: the company is going all-in on AI systems that don't just answer questions but proactively take actions on users' behalf. Beyond search, Google introduced Gemini Spark, a 24/7 personal AI agent that runs on dedicated virtual machines in Google Cloud. It unveiled the Universal Cart, an intelligent cross-merchant shopping cart. It announced the Agent Payments Protocol for agents to make secure purchases. And it expanded its Antigravity developer platform into a full ecosystem for building autonomous AI agents. Publishers, advertisers, and SEO professionals face a new reality The redesign raises profound questions for the sprawling ecosystem -- publishers, advertisers, SEO professionals -- that has been built around the old model of keyword search and blue links. If users increasingly express their needs as full, conversational sentences rather than fragmented keywords, the entire discipline of search engine optimization will need to evolve. Keyword-density strategies become less relevant when the AI is parsing natural language intent rather than matching strings. Content that answers deep, nuanced questions in authoritative ways becomes more valuable; content engineered to rank for two-word keyword fragments becomes less so. For publishers, the stakes are existential. AI Overviews already synthesize information from across the web and present it directly in search results, reducing the need for users to click through to source material. The new seamless AI Mode integration deepens that dynamic: users can now get an AI-generated answer and ask multiple follow-up questions without ever leaving the search page. Google has consistently maintained that its AI features drive more traffic to publishers, but the redesign puts that claim under renewed scrutiny as the search results page becomes more self-contained. For advertisers -- who fund the vast majority of Google's revenue -- the shift from keywords to conversations changes the calculus of ad targeting. Conversational queries contain richer intent signals, which could make ad targeting more precise and valuable. But they also create new ambiguities: when a user is in the middle of a multi-turn conversation with AI Mode, where does an ad naturally fit? Google did not detail changes to its advertising model during the briefing, but the structural shift in the interface will inevitably reshape how ads are surfaced and measured. The search box was always more than a product -- it was a habit for billions of people There is a reason Google chose to redesign the search box rather than simply adding new features behind it. The search box is not just a product element at this point; it is a cultural artifact -- one of the few pieces of digital infrastructure used by essentially the entire internet-connected world. Changing it sends an unmistakable message about where the company believes computing is headed. For 25 years, the search box trained billions of people to think in keywords -- to compress their curiosity into the shortest possible string of words. The new box invites them to do the opposite: to think out loud, to upload what they're looking at, to ask follow-up questions, to let an AI system handle the compression. Pichai tied the company's broader ambitions to a striking statistic: Google's surfaces now process over 3.2 quadrillion tokens per month, up seven-fold from a year ago. The company expects capital expenditures of approximately $180 to $190 billion in 2026 -- roughly six times the $31 billion it spent four years ago -- largely to support the infrastructure required for this AI transformation. When asked about the future of traditional search, he was direct. "Search is the most used AI product in the world," he said. The blinking cursor in Google's search box still invites you to type. But after 25 years of teaching the world to speak in keywords, Google is now asking it to speak in sentences -- and betting roughly $190 billion that it will.

Google Shifts to AI Search, Heralding Major Change in How People Use the Internet

Other upgrades will completely change the search experience for users, including a new way to infuse AI into Google Search by asking for "information agents" to keep them updated on things like new apartment listings. "You could send an alert to track market movements in a particular sector with very specific parameters, and the agent will map out a monitoring plan for you, including the tools and the data it needs to access -- like our real-time finance data," Google's head of Search, Liz Reid, announced at Google I/O 2026, an annual developer conference. "It will then keep track of those changes and let you know when the conditions are met, and provide a synthesized update with links and information you can dive into further."

Google Search is getting AI agents that will monitor the web for you

Set up an agent once, and Search will notify you when it finds what you're looking for. Google I/O 2026 This story is part of our complete Google I/O coverage Updated less than 3 minutes ago Google used its I/O 2026 keynote to announce a major overhaul of Search, introducing AI agents, a redesigned search box, and agentic coding capabilities that can generate custom apps and dashboards on the fly. A new search box The most visible change is a revamped search box that Google is calling the biggest update to the service in over 25 years. The new box dynamically expands as you type, offers AI-powered suggestions that go beyond autocomplete, and accepts text, images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs as inputs. It is rolling out today in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available. Google is also upgrading AI Mode's default model to Gemini 3.5 Flash, its newest Gemini model optimized for agentic tasks and coding. Search agents and mini apps Google is also introducing what it calls "information agents" to Search. These background agents continuously scan the web, financial data, sports scores, and social posts, and notify you when something relevant to your query changes. The idea is that you describe what you're looking for once, and the agent handles the monitoring from there. Information agents will launch first for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer. Separately, Google is bringing agentic coding to Search. Using its new Antigravity platform, Search can now generate custom UI, interactive visuals, and mini apps tailored to specific queries. With this, building a wedding tracker or fitness dashboard becomes a one-prompt task. Custom mini app creation will roll out to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US first, while the generative UI will become available to all users this summer. Finally, Google is expanding Personal Intelligence, which connects Search to Gmail and Google Photos for more personalized results, to nearly 200 countries across 98 languages, with no subscription required.

A new generation of ads for the AI era of Search

Built with Gemini, we're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot to help brands connect with consumers. Google is integrating Gemini into Search to provide conversational, AI-driven ad experiences that offer product guidance and transparent explanations. You can now use new formats like Conversational Discovery ads, Highlighted Answers, and AI-powered Shopping ads to connect with customers through real-time, personalized advice. To prepare, ensure your campaigns are set up with Performance Max and AI Max tools to take full advantage of these upcoming features.

Google wants its search bar to act on your behalf in AI revamp

Mountain View (United States) (AFP) - Google on Tuesday showed off new plans to turn its famous search bar into an AI assistant that can book restaurants, track news and contact businesses -- just by asking a question. After three years of struggling to keep up with ChatGPT, Google is racing to roll out artificial intelligence tools that build on its grip over online search. The company's Gemini AI app now has 900 million monthly users, twice as many as last year. Its AI-powered search feature, AI Mode, is also taking off, with a claimed one billion monthly users worldwide. On Tuesday, at Google's annual developer conference near its California headquarters in Mountain View, CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled the next step: Gemini Spark, a personal AI agent available starting next week for top-tier subscribers in the United States. Google's search engine will also get a new upgrade for US users this summer: always-on AI agents that can alert you to news, book activities, and manage shopping lists. The changes to Google search, which the company said were its biggest in 25 years, will also see a widened search box to make room for more complicated queries people use for chatbots. "I love how search has become less about individual queries and feels more like an ongoing conversation, giving users deeper insights and connecting you with the vastness of the web," Pichai told journalists. Many of the features ride a wave of "agentic" AI that has gripped Silicon Valley since Austrian developer Peter Steinberger in late 2025 launched OpenClaw -- a platform that lets AI book flights, manage emails and build apps from chat prompts. OpenAI hired OpenClaw's creator earlier this year and the tech giants are now racing to bring agentic features to mainstream users, despite security concerns and the soaring computing costs that come with them. To stay ahead of rivals Anthropic and OpenAI, Google on Tuesday also launched the latest version of its AI model, Gemini 3.5 Flash. Google says it runs four times faster than top competing models -- including Anthropic's Claude Opus and OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.5 -- while performing at a similar level. The model is now the default across the Gemini app, AI Mode search and other Google services. A more powerful version, Gemini 3.5 Pro, is expected next month. Google also announced it was teaming up with OpenAI on one front: to help stop the spread of fake or manipulated content, the ChatGPT maker has adopted SynthID, Google's tool for invisibly watermarking AI-generated images. End of clicks? Google's growing AI features could spell trouble for news websites and online publishers. By keeping users inside its own apps and tools, Google makes it less likely that people will click through to outside websites -- cutting into their traffic and ad revenue. Google searches already end 58 percent of the time without users clicking on any website, according to a lawsuit filed against the company by Penske Media, which publishes the Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone. In Europe, a major publishers' group has complained to the European Commission, saying Google uses news content to fuel its AI summaries without paying for it. France is the only major European country where AI Mode is still unavailable, and remains at the center of a bitter fight between Google and French publishers. However, Google's legal troubles are not limited to Europe. A US court found it guilty of illegally monopolizing online search in 2024, and the company could still be forced to break up parts of its business. The Justice Department in February appealed a ruling that had stopped short of making Google sell its Chrome browser. A hearing is not expected until the end of the year at the earliest, or possibly 2027.

Google's AI Mode Is Getting Gemini's Latest Model

At Google I/O 2026, Google announced that they're going all in on AI Search. According to Google, AI Mode now has more than a billion monthly users. To tackle all those questions, Google is plugging their best new Gemini 3.5 model directly into AI Mode, and, of course, they're integrating agents directly into Google Search so they can accomplish things on your behalf. Starting today, Google is integrating its latest Flash model, the Gemini 3.5 Flash, directly into AI Mode -- and it's going to be available to everyone, globally. Google also sees the AI Mode search queries as the beginning of a longer conversation, so they're making the input more dynamic. According to Google, the text box in Google Search will dynamically expand when you're asking a longer question. And now you can search across different modalities, using text, images, videos, files, and even Chrome tabs as input. Users will also be able to ask a question from AI Overviews, leading to a conversation view in AI Mode. As you provide more context, the results will get more relevant. This experience is also rolling out for desktop and mobile users worldwide today. Google is also integrating Personal Intelligence directly into AI Mode. That means your AI Search queries can return personalized information based on your Google account. Google is launching this feature in more than 200 countries and across 98 languages, and it will be available for free. The feature remains opt-in. Surprising absolutely no one, Google is starting to roll out agents directly in Google Search. You will be able to create and manage multiple AI agents in the search interface itself. Google is starting off with information agents that work in the background 24/7, getting you updated information that you need. A Search agent can search across different sources on the web, like articles, social media posts, and Google's real-time information on shopping, sports, and finance. Search can then send you timely updates, and because this is an agent, it can also take action on your behalf. According to an example from Google, Search agents can monitor sneaker collabs between your favorite sneaker brands and your favorite athletes, and it can notify you about new drops (providing a way to place an order as well). Agents will also be integrated into Google Shopping directly. Google is also expanding its agentic booking experience to local experiences and services. Search can help you book an experience, with details about time slots and pricing ready to go. Don't worry, though; you'll be the one placing the final order with the provided link. Information agents are coming first to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers this summer. Google is also integrating coding elements from Google Antigravity directly in Gemini 3.5 Flash, so you can now ask Google Search to help you explain complex topics by creating interactive models. You can also use it to generate personalized dashboards to visualize data, generating what Google calls "mini-apps." For example, it can help you build a custom fitness tracker with real-time data sources like live weather data, maps data, and more. This feature will first roll out to U.S. users in the coming months, and it's limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Google I/O 2026: Even more AI is coming to Google Search

At Google I/O 2026, many new AI-powered Google Search features were unveiled like Search agents. Credit: Google According to Google, AI Mode in Google Search has now surpassed 1 billion monthly users. And, of course, AI Overviews are now ubiquitous at the top of every Google search results page. At Google I/O 2026 today, Google shared some new updates coming to Google Search -- and surprise! -- even more AI features are coming to the search giant's search product. First up, Google is upgrading its AI Mode in Google Search to the brand-new Gemini 3.5 Flash, which was also just announced at I/O. Google is upgrading the search box with AI, too. The new AI Search Box with Intelligent Search is the first update to Google's search box in more than 25 years. When typing a search query, the search box will now expand, offering users more space to use natural language to ask Google their questions. The new AI Search Box will also allow users to upload images, videos, files, and Chrome tabs alongside their query for reference. AI Overviews is also getting an upgrade as well. Users will be able to ask a follow-up question in AI Mode about the information AI Overviews display at the top of a search results page. The feature will allow back-and-forth conversation, much like an AI chatbot, so users can dive deeper into the topic based on the information AI Overviews provide. Another big search-related announcement at Google I/O 2026: AI Search agents are coming to Google Search. According to Google, users will be able to provide a Search agent with all the relevant details for a query. The Search agent will then scan 24/7 for sources, like news websites, blogs, and social media, to find the most relevant and up-to-date information. Google provided examples of when a user would utilize Search agents. If a user is apartment hunting, they can input all their housing requirements with a search agent, which will scan around-the-clock for new apartment listings that match those parameters. These information agents will be available for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the summer. Agentic AI capabilities are also being upgraded for shopping and booking experiences and services in Search. Users will be able to see the latest prices, availabilities, and direct booking links after providing agents with what they're looking for. In addition, AI agents will be able to call specific businesses for certain services. These agentic capabilities will be available for all users this summer. Speaking of AI features for all users, Google says it's expanding Personal Intelligence in Search to even more users, no subscription required. With Personal Intelligence, users can connect their apps, such as Gmail and Google Photos, so that Google's AI in search can understand search query context using their personal information. Google says the ability to connect Google Calendar to Personal Intelligence is coming soon, and users will continue to have full control over the feature and the data that is used. Additionally, Google is bringing AI coding tools, powered by Google Antigravity, directly into Google Search. It appears that Google is looking to pull non-developers into the mix, offering use cases such as building a custom fitness tracker or a custom dashboard to plan a wedding.

Google Search is getting its biggest upgrade in decades -- here are the 5 best new features

Google Search has been around for decades, but even with updates along the way, nothing compares to the scale of what was unveiled today at Google I/O 2026, and it's all thanks to AI. Google revealed its updated Search Box, which is both a redesign and an AI fusion courtesy of Gemini, alongside other enhancements during its Google I/O 2026 keynote. Google Search has had an AI Mode for a while now, but Google's adding new agents, expanding Personal Intelligence to more countries, there's a smart shopping cart coming, and it's going to get easier to book activities based on your very specific criteria, all within Search. Firstly, though, Google's changing the iconic Search Bar for the first time in 25 years - both in its look and in what can be done within the search box. Instead of focusing on basic inquiries, the new search bar emphasizes and encourages a conversation with Gemini by making it easier to ask follow-up questions or trigger one of the new features mentioned below. Under the hood, Gemini 3.5 Flash is powering the new look and all the capabilities. The new search bar is starting to roll out to users today, so if you don't see it just yet, don't fret. So, here's a recap of what you can expect to see in Search and when it'll arrive. Information agents come to Search Google is planning to add different AI agents -- which is a fancy term for what's effectively software that performs only a specific task -- to Search over time. The first type of agent coming to Search is an information agent. Think of an information agent as a constantly running search query that's monitoring results on your behalf, and sending you an alert whenever your criteria is met. Google says the new agent will be able to do things like help you find an apartment. The agent can scan apartment listings based on your list of requirements, then alert you the moment an apartment meets your criteria. Another example from Google is having an agent monitor for any announcements from your favorite pro athletes pertaining to a sneaker collab, with an alert arriving the instant the announcement is made. You create the agent, put it to work, and wait for the results to come in. Information agents will be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers starting later this summer, but we don't have a specific launch date as of yet. Book your next adventure directly in Search Soon you'll be able to book your next night out or activity directly in Google Search. Google provides the example of finding a karaoke room for you and your friends that serves food late. After the search is complete, you'll be given a link to book it directly, or for select categories like home repair, beauty, and pet care, Google will offer to call the business for you. All Search users in the U.S. will get access to the new agentic booking feature this summer, and we can't wait to go hands-on with it. Shopping gets easier with the new Universal Cart Beyond helping you book a reservation or other activity, Google is also rolling out a new Universal Cart that will be available across several Google products. Meaning, if you're researching a product on YouTube or through Search, you can add it to your Universal Cart and you'll see it in the same shopping cart. Once a product is added to your cart, Google will start looking for the best deals and will send alerts when the item is back in stock. Using Universal Cart, you can add products from different retailers and check out in one place, or you can go directly to the retailers site to complete the purchase. Furthermore, Universal Cart will use AI to analyze the products in your cart to ensure compatibility. Google used the example of adding PC components to your cart from different retailers. Your cart will analyze the parts and make suggestions if you have a motherboard that's not compatible with the processor. Universal Cart will launch first on Search and in the Gemini app this summer, with YouTube and Gmail support to follow. Gemini can create mini apps, simulations and more directly in Search With Google's claim that Gemini 3.5 Flash is better than 3.1 Pro at nearly every task, including coding, it makes sense that Google would add agentic coding to Search, leveraging 3.5 Flash's new capabilities. Using the new agentic coding feature, you'll be able to build mini apps, directly in Search. For example, Google showed off the creation of a custom fitness tracker that will use information from your Google account, such as gym memberships, recent grocery lists, and your location to find local fitness classes. Within this mini app, you'll see a daily schedule with your meal plan (complete with grocery list), meetings, events, and planned workouts. Basically, Google just took away my favorite excuse to not work out: I'm too busy and don't have time. You can then revisit this self-created app and mark off workouts, keep track of your vitamin intake, and whatever else you'd like to track inside a fitness app -- it's your app, of course, make it what you want. Another change you'll begin to see when agentic coding rolls out is simulations, charts and graphs as part of your search results. For example, a search pertaining to black holes and spacetime could trigger the coding agent to create a model to provide a visualization. Agentic coding in Search will launch in the U.S. "in the coming months" for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Expanded Personal Intelligence in Search In January, Google launched Personal Intelligence in Search in the U.S. for Gemini AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. In March, Google made it available to all users, but it was still limited to the U.S. Starting today, the feature will be available to everyone in almost 200 countries and across 98 languages. With Personal Intelligence, you can connect other Google services like Photos, Gmail, and Calendar to Search, and AI Mode will surface personal information -- when appropriate -- in Search results. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Google launches 'biggest' Search revamp in 25 years with Gemini

The new upgrade allows users to ask follow-up questions in search. Google Search is getting its biggest revamp in 25 years with a Gemini 3.5 Flash integration, as AI-powered search quickly gains popularity among consumers. The first in the Gemini 3.5 series, Flash is now the default model for the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search globally, Google said at its annual I/O conference yesterday (19 May). Gemini 3.5 Flash outperforms Gemini 3.1 Pro on coding and agentic benchmarks, while hitting speeds four-times faster than other frontier models, the company said. The newest in the Flash series makes significant leaps on agentic and multimodal benchmarks set by the likes of Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5. It outperforms others in financial analysis, while reaching just under GPT-5.5's achievements in agentic computer use. "What used to take a developer days or an auditor weeks, 3.5 Flash can now help complete in a fraction of the time, often at less than half the cost of other frontier models," Google said in a blog. Gemini 3.5 Pro is expected to launch next month. Available wherever Google AI Mode is, the Flash upgrade allows users to search across modalities, using text, images, files, videos or Chrome tabs as inputs. The new upgrade also allows users to ask follow-up questions in search. While 'information agents' - AI agents that operate in the background 24/7, continuously reasoning - alongside upgraded agentic booking capabilities allow users, for example, to monitor rental listings as they emerge. Google is also expanding 'personal intelligence' in AI Mode to nearly 200 countries, enabling users to connect apps such as Gmail and Google Photos to give Gemini more personal context. Meanwhile, Search is getting an integration with Google Antigravity - the company's agentic development platform - allowing users to generate tailored outputs. Google's AI Mode has surpassed 1bn monthly users, with queries more than doubling every quarter since launch, the company said. The company's results reflect findings from an October report from consulting firm McKinsey which found that 50pc of consumers already use AI-powered search in 2025, with the figure set to rise to 75pc by 2028. BBC last year reported that large language models are fast gaining momentum in search. Despite being one of Gemini's biggest competitors, Google, last month, said that it would invest up to $40bn into Claude's parent Anthropic. As part of the deal, Anthropic has agreed to tap 3.5GW of Google's tensor processing unit capacity from Broadcom. While the two also have a deal which will see Google Cloud providing 5GW of computing capacity to Anthropic over the next five years. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Google reimagines search with AI agents and generative interfaces - SiliconANGLE

Google reimagines search with AI agents and generative interfaces Google LLC's search is getting an artificial intelligence makeover today, as the company announced during its Google I/O developer conference that it's upgrading the search experience to "reimagine it with AI," making it feel less like a static results page and more like an AI workspace. At the forefront, the search box itself will now expand to let users type and view longer queries as they write. According to Google, with the rise of AI-enabled searches, users are beginning to ask longer and more complicated questions about what they're looking for, and the constrained search box is getting in their way. Now, as they type, the search box will enlarge so users can see more of what they're writing, similar to the larger AI Mode query field. It will also allow users to search across different inputs, including text, images, videos and Chrome tabs. Users will still get a potential AI summary and a list of results in every search, but now they'll also get an additional follow-up box directly below the AI Overview. This will flow into a conversational back-and-forth within AI Mode. There will no longer be a need to click a button to trigger AI follow-ups. Google noted that it's the "agentic era," meaning more people are getting used to telling an AI system what they want and having it go out and do the work. As a result, the company is adding Search Agents, which can run in the background 24/7, collect information and bring it back. With information agents running searches, users can customize them with the assets and information they're looking for, and the agents can scour the web to return regular reports on what has changed. For example, if users are apartment hunting, they could "brain dump" all their requirements for a new home. The agent could then search continuously and report back whenever a matching listing comes onto the market. Google is also extending agents beyond simply finding information, using AI to generate new interfaces when a list of links or a written answer is not enough. To do this, the company is bringing the power of agentic coding into Search by incorporating the company's Antigravity tool and its newly released Gemini 3.5 Flash model. Together, these tools can build an appropriate mini app that provides a slide, visual or other interactive experience to help elucidate the subject. For example, if a user asks for information on the solar system and how the planets move in relation to one another, the system might build a semi-interactive visualization with the sun in the center and the planets orbiting around it. It can also create custom components such as interactive tables, graphs or similar simulations. Google calls these "generative UI," or user interfaces. Growing out of this experience, some users might be more interested in building their own apps, not just having a mini app for a one-off question. For example, if users have something they search for over and over, such as being on a diet or following a health routine, they could ask Search to build them a custom fitness and diet tracker. It could tap into local maps and real-time sources such as weather, and provide a tracker for fitness routines, routes with maps, a calorie spreadsheet and more. This experience will roll out to users over the summer for Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Google unveils the new generation of ads coming to AI-powered Search

Google is embedding ads directly into AI-generated search answers, marking a major shift in how it monetizes its search engine. According to new details from I/O 2026, Gemini 3.5 Flash is now surfacing tailored ads within AI Mode responses, alongside traditional organic results. The company is calling this a "new generation of ads" designed for the AI era of Search. The new ad formats include "Conversational Discovery ads" and "Highlighted Answers." The former tailors ads to specific search queries, such as recommending products to fix a smell in a house, which could vary from deodorizer to a cheap box of baking soda. Highlighted Answers sees brands inserted into lists of recommendations at the end of AI Mode results. Google claims these ads are filtered using the same standards as its existing ad platform. AI Mode is now being used to generate detailed responses, with ads appearing alongside or within these answers. The new ads are currently undergoing testing, and Google has informed The Register that their implementation will feel natural and ultimately add value to users' searches. Google also confirmed it is expanding AI-powered shopping ads into standard search results, using Gemini to create custom explanations for products. The company is even testing smart brand agents within ads, allowing users to interact with chat windows that explain product features. With AI Mode and Gemini integration now central to Search, Google is doubling down on its AI advertising strategy, with the company only recently unveiling that it will be turning Google Photos into a virtual closet with Gemini.

Google's biggest Search redesign is built around Gemini 3.5 Flash

Google has upgraded its Search platform to the Gemini 3.5 Flash model, integrating significant AI enhancements announced at the Google I/O 2026 event. This update allows for faster inferencing and processing of various media types, enabling a new Intelligent Search Box that dynamically enlarges for complex queries and accepts inputs such as videos, images, files, and Chrome tabs. According to Google, these features represent the most substantial changes to the search box in 25 years. Liz Reid, head of Search at Google, stated, "It's more intuitive than ever, dynamically expanding to give you space to describe exactly what you need." The new design aims to anticipate user intent with AI-powered suggestions, enhancing the search experience beyond traditional autocomplete functions. Users can now ask follow-up questions for more refined results, marking a shift towards a more conversational interaction. Additionally, Google plans to launch a suite of new agentic capabilities this summer for Gemini Pro and Ultra subscribers. These agentic features will autonomously search the web based on user prompts, allowing for complex inquiries such as finding specific apartments. Google indicated that these agents would have access to a wide array of information, including blogs, news sites, and real-time data on finance, shopping, and sports. Free users will receive limited updates this summer, such as the ability to book local experiences and services, which Google claims will include accurate pricing and complete bookings. The technology will also allow users to request Google to make calls to businesses for appointments, similar to the Duplex AI feature introduced with Google Assistant in 2018. Google plans to integrate its Antigravity coding app into Search this summer for Pro and Ultra users, enabling the creation of generative UI elements and mini apps within the search platform. The company states that this incorporation aims to transform Search from a tool into a central aspect of the user experience. The expansion of Personal Intelligence in AI Mode will extend to nearly 200 countries and 98 languages, linking Gemini with Gmail, Photos, and Calendar to improve result accuracy. Users will have control over connecting their accounts; however, there are concerns regarding automatic opt-ins for data sharing. Reid emphasized, "You're always in control" of these features, but the potential for default account linking remains a point of contention among users.

Google Search AI upgrade brings agents and a new look - Phandroid

Google has been layering AI into Search for a couple of years now, and the changes have mostly been incremental. At Google I/O 2026, the company made clear it's done going slow. This Google Search AI upgrade is the most significant overhaul the product has seen in decades. It touches everything from how the search box looks to what Search can do while you're not even using it. The first change is the one everyone will actually see. Google redesigned the search box for the first time in over 25 years. It expands as you type, making room for longer, more conversational questions. There are also AI-powered suggestions that go beyond autocomplete, designed to anticipate what you're asking rather than just finishing your sentence. You can now attach images, files, videos, and open Chrome tabs directly to a query too. This redesign is rolling out now in all countries and languages where AI Mode is already available. It's free. The bigger news is something called information agents. Think of them as a modern take on Google Alerts, the notification tool Google launched back in 2003. These agents run in the background around the clock. They scan the web and push you a synthesized update when something relevant to a topic you care about changes. Google's apartment hunting example sums it up: tell the agent what you're looking for and it notifies you when a matching listing appears, rather than you searching over and over. Google is also adding Generative UI, which builds custom interactive layouts for complex questions like tables, graphs, and simulations. Mini apps are coming too. They let you build persistent project spaces for ongoing tasks, like planning a move or tracking a home renovation. Here's where it gets split. Generative UI is free and coming this summer. Information agents and mini apps are for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers only when they launch this summer, so the most capable new features sit behind a paywall at launch. AI Mode, which launched last year, now has over one billion monthly users and runs on Gemini 3.5 Flash globally. Google also confirmed that AI Overviews support direct follow-up questions flowing into AI Mode, making the jump from a standard search result to a full AI conversation automatic. The Google Search AI upgrade is happening in waves. The search box is live today. The rest lands later this year.

Google Search is getting a complete AI overhaul -- here's what's actually changing

When not writing, Dave enjoys spending time with his family, running, playing the guitar, camping, and serving in his community. His favorite place is the Blue Ridge Mountains, and one day he hopes to retire there (hopefully his fear of heights will have retired by then, too!). Summary On May 19, Google announced massive changes to Search, centered around deep AI integration. The reimagined Search box expands and offers AI-driven suggestions, along with the ability to drag-and-drop files, images, and Chrome tabs to add context. You'll also be able to create custom agents and even have Search code a custom app for you, right from the Search box. At Google I/O on May 19, the search giant announced a slew of AI-powered updates to its core search product, including what it's calling the Search box's "biggest upgrade in over 25 years." Related Your Google Search widget has 3 hidden features you're probably missing The Google search widget has a lot of customization options you're probably ignoring. Posts By Brandon Miniman What's new with Google Search? A powerful new model for AI Mode -- and the rest of Search, too Google has updated AI Mode to use Gemini 3.5 Flash, its latest Flash model. Prior to today, Search was primarily using Gemini 2.5, with occasional switches to 3.1 Pro for more complex tasks. The bump to 3.5 Flash is significant -- it's not just (much) faster, but also more capable. Gemini 3.5 Flash is the default in AI Mode globally starting May 19. AI Mode has also gotten some upgrades as a result. You can ask a question in the AI Overview, and the whole thing will shift seamlessly over to AI Mode and turn the query into a deeper conversation. Technically, this has been possible for a while now -- at least, for some users -- but it's been made official as of today, and it works quite well. Big changes for the Search box The Search box also got some major updates -- Google says it is "completely reimagined with AI." Visually, it now expands if you exceed its capacity, so you can see your whole query at all times. Prior to this change, the box would scroll horizontally, cutting off your text. However, the bigger change is that it directly incorporates AI. The search suggestions aren't just autocomplete -- Google says the Search box now attempts to anticipate your intent and provides AI-powered suggestions. There's now a + button on the left side of the box that lets you feed it inputs like recent tabs, images, and files to provide context for queries. You can even drag-and-drop items onto it. For example, you can drag an entire Chrome tab onto the bar and then ask it a question about that tab. The new Search box is rolling out starting May 19 everywhere AI Mode is available. Custom agents in Search Okay, now we're really getting into new territory: you'll soon be able to create custom AI agents directly in the search bar to handle tasks for you. The first round of agents are "information agents" that can keep you updated on topics. For example, you can ask Google to keep you updated on apartment listings. You provide the requirements you have for an apartment, and the agent will run continuously in the background and send you notifications when new listings match your criteria. This is all done right from the Search box. Information agents will launch first for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer. Agentic booking capabilities are also being expanded, with the ability to provide criteria and receive recommendations and links to book directly in the search results. Google's example is very specific: "find a private karaoke room for six on a Friday night that serves food late." These agentic capabilities will roll out to everyone in the US this summer. Agentic coding right from Search The most out-there new Search feature is the ability to have Search literally code a custom experience for you to match your query, right in Search, on the fly. For example, if you ask how black holes affect spacetime, Search will create a custom visualization that you can play with to help explain the answer. Even wilder, it can build custom dashboards and trackers that you can revisit at any time -- Google's example has it build a custom fitness tracker that incorporates local data, such as weather and the times when nearby gyms are slowest. These custom experiences will be available in the "coming months," starting with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US. Is this the end of Search as we knew it? The AI takeover of Search seems nearly complete Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode were controversial when they launched, but the company says adoption has been rapid -- AI Mode queries have more than doubled every quarter since launch. However, you've been largely able to ignore these features if you wanted (although AI can sometimes find info faster than a Google search). These new changes make avoiding AI in Search far more difficult -- Gemini is active in the Search box as you're typing your query. They also paint a clear picture of where Google is headed with its core product, like it or not. This isn't just a Google thing, either. Even DuckDuckGo incorporates AI features in its flagship search product. For now, at least, the old list of hyperlinks is still there, but it may just be a matter of time before even that gets changed. What do you think? Are you a fan of Google's AI Search features? Drop a comment and let us know.

Google I/O 2026: AI Agents in Search to Deliver Smarter Personalised Results

Users can access this feature by opening the AI Mode in Search Google unveiled many new features during its annual I/O event in California on Tuesday. The Mountain View-based company's one of the biggest announcements includes new agentic AI capabilities coming to Search. With this update, users can create and manage AI agents for different topics and updates based on their interests. The launch of AI agents in search is part of Google's ongoing push towards more advanced AI features. These new AI agents are designed to analyse data and deliver relevant updates when users need them. Google Unveils AI Search Agents In a blog post, Google detailed its new Search agents, which are designed to create, customise, and manage multiple AI agents for different tasks. Google says its Information agents continuously scan the web in the background to track topics and offer real-time updates. It monitors the web, blogs, news sites, and social posts to gather data. Information agents use Google's real-time data on finance and shopping to inform users about topics of their interests, eliminating the need to search for new information daily. How New AI Agents Work Users can access this feature by opening the AI Mode in Search and entering a prompt. The demo video posted by Google shows an Information agent created to track sneaker collaborations and signature shoe launches from favourite athletes. After setting up the agent in February, the user was notified in March when one of the athletes launched a sneaker. The AI agent continued monitoring the web and sent an alert in May for new collaboration, along with related threads. Similarly, users searching for apartments can enter their requirements, and the AI agent will track listings and send alerts whenever a matching apartment gets listed online. It can be useful for tracking flight prices, stock market updates, news tracking and traffic alerts. Information agents will first roll out this summer for Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers. Further, Google is expanding its agentic booking features in Search. This would enable quick booking of local services and experiences such as home repair, beauty, and pet care. Then the Search will show pricing, availability, and direct booking links from service providers. For some categories, Google will allow users to ask Search to call businesses on their behalf. This facility will be available for everyone in the US this summer. Furthermore, Google has added new agentic AI features to shopping within Search.

Google Is Rebuilding Search Around AI, Agents, and Gemini

AI agents will be available to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in summer Google I/O 2026 was held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in California on Tuesday. During the keynote of the annual developer conference, the tech giant announced a major overhaul of its Search experience, calling it the biggest change to the Search box in over 25 years. Among the most notable changes is the new intelligent Search box, built on Gemini 3.5 Flash. The revamped experience aims to make it easier for users to ask more natural, complex, and multi-modal queries using text, images, videos, files, and even Chrome tabs. New AI-Powered Intelligent Search Box In a blog post, Google said that the new intelligent Search box expands dynamically to provide users with more space to type detailed questions. It is claimed to be better designed to understand user intent, while also providing AI-powered suggestions that are more than autocomplete recommendations. The tech giant has introduced multi-modal support, too. This allows users to search using text, images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs simultaneously. They will continue to receive traditional Search results alongside AI-generated responses. At IO, Google also confirmed that Gemini 3.5 Flash is now the default model for AI Mode globally. The newer Flash model is claimed to offer improved reasoning, coding, and agentic capabilities while maintaining faster response times. Users can also continue asking follow-up questions directly from AI Overviews and transition into full AI Mode conversations across desktop and mobile devices. AI Agents, Booking Features and Custom Dashboards Google also introduced what it calls "Search agents". As described by the tech giant, these are AI systems that are capable of continuously monitoring information and performing background research tasks for users. The first implementation of this system will focus on "information agents," which can monitor blogs, news sites, social platforms, finance data, shopping information, and sports updates based on user-defined objectives. Giving an example, Google explained that while apartment hunting or tracking sneaker releases, AI agents can continuously scan the web and notify users when the set conditions are met. Information agents will initially be available in the summer for Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers. Agentic booking features within Search are also being expanded. This allows users to search for local services using natural language queries. They can initiate requests such as finding private karaoke rooms with food service availability, and Search can then aggregate pricing and availability information and redirect users to booking providers. AI will also be capable of calling businesses on behalf of users in select categories. These features are expected to roll out in the US later this summer. Another major addition is agentic coding and AI-generated interfaces powered by Google Antigravity and Gemini 3.5 Flash. The company claims Search is now capable of building custom visual layouts, simulations, graphs, tables, and interactive interfaces tailored to user questions. Lastly, Personal Intelligence in AI Mode is being expanded to more than 200 countries across 98 languages. Users can connect services such as Gmail and Google Photos, with Google Calendar support arriving later. The company emphasised that users retain full control over whether connected apps can be accessed by AI systems.

Google Wants Ads to Talk Back in AI Search | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. At Google Marketing Live last week, Google introduced Conversational Discovery ads, Highlighted Answers and Business Agent for Leads, all embedded directly inside AI Mode, its Gemini-powered conversational search experience. Conversational Discovery ads serve product recommendations in response to open-ended prompts. Highlighted Answers insert sponsored results into AI-generated recommendation lists. Business Agent for Leads replaces static contact forms with a Gemini-powered brand chatbot inside the search interface. Google said 75% of users make faster and more confident decisions using AI Mode. Google's conversational ad push runs on infrastructure rivals haven't built. PYMNTS reported that Google Search and advertising revenue reached $60.4 billion in Q1 2026, up 19% year over year, running counter to predictions that AI-generated answers would hollow out Search's ad business. Merchant Center, the Shopping graph and Performance Max campaigns feed directly into the new conversational formats. Advertisers don't need to rebuild campaigns. Their existing product feeds and conversion signals extend into the new placements. Google said that more than 30% of search ad spend now uses AI-enabled campaign tools. Queries in AI Mode run three times longer than traditional searches. OpenAI's attempts to introduce advertising have repeatedly run into user resistance. TechCrunch reported that Chief Research Officer Mark Chen acknowledged the company "fell short" with promotional messages and disabled app suggestions after paying subscribers complained about seeing promotions for companies like Peloton and Target embedded in their conversations. The ad team resources were reallocated to a model accuracy task force after CEO Sam Altman issued a code red memo prioritizing core quality, according to The Wall Street Journal. The backlash was sharpest among paid subscribers, who didn't expect promotional content at price points up to $200 a month. Google's formats carry "Sponsored" labels and sit in a marked section below the main organic answer. Gemini writes an independent AI explainer alongside each ad, synthesizing product information separately from advertiser creative. AI Mode has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users globally. The ad formats are one layer. The transaction infrastructure underneath them is another. Google's Direct Offers pilot now includes native checkout for Universal Commerce Protocol merchants, letting shoppers complete purchases inside AI-assisted search flows. Chewy, Gap and L'Oréal are already using the format. Expedia and Booking.com are set to join as well. Universal Cart launch partners include Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart and Wayfair, with Affirm and Klarna embedded as buy-now-pay-later options inside Google Pay. Google said the retailer stays merchant of record regardless of where the transaction completes. Search revenue grew 19% in Q1. Native checkout inside AI Mode is the next test of whether that holds. The competitive and infrastructure questions converge at the same point. Advertisers face a measurement gap. Conversational queries don't map cleanly onto the keyword-level attribution models that have governed search campaign performance for two decades.

Google upgrades Search with AI-powered Search box, agents, and Gemini 3.5 Flash

Google has announced a major expansion of AI capabilities in Search at I/O 2026, introducing a redesigned AI-powered Search experience, intelligent Search agents, generative UI tools, and expanded Personal Intelligence features powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash. According to the company, AI Mode has now surpassed one billion monthly users globally. Google also says AI Mode queries have more than doubled every quarter since launch, while overall Search queries reached an all-time high last quarter as users increasingly relied on conversational and AI-assisted searches. Google is now upgrading AI Mode with Gemini 3.5 Flash as the default model globally. The company says the latest Flash model is designed to deliver sustained frontier performance for agentic workflows, reasoning, and coding tasks directly inside Search. Google has also introduced what it describes as the biggest Search box upgrade in more than 25 years. The new AI-powered Search box is designed to support more natural and conversational prompts instead of traditional keyword-based searches. The Search field can dynamically expand for longer queries and provide AI-generated suggestions that go beyond standard autocomplete to help users better formulate requests. Search now supports multimodal inputs including: Google says users will continue receiving a range of Search results similar to the existing Search experience. Google is also expanding conversational capabilities in Search across desktop and mobile platforms. Users can continue asking follow-up questions directly from AI Overviews and move into AI Mode without restarting a Search session. According to Google, conversational context remains active during follow-up interactions, while links and supporting articles become more relevant as discussions continue. Google is introducing Search agents that allow users to create, customize, and manage multiple AI agents directly within Search. The first rollout focuses on information agents that operate continuously in the background. These agents can intelligently reason across information sources and monitor blogs, news websites, social platforms, shopping data, finance updates, sports information, and other real-time sources. Google says the agents can provide synthesized updates and take actions based on user-defined requests. Examples shared by the company include: Google is also expanding agentic booking capabilities in Search for local experiences and services. Users can provide detailed requirements, while Search can surface pricing, availability information, and direct booking links. Google can also contact businesses on behalf of users. The company additionally announced new agentic shopping capabilities in Search, with separate details shared through its Shopping announcements. Google is bringing Google Antigravity technology and Gemini 3.5 Flash agentic coding capabilities directly into Search. According to the company, Search can generate responses in different formats dynamically and build custom generative UI experiences in real time based on user queries. Google says the system can generate visual tools for topics such as astrophysics or mechanical systems. The company is also introducing AI-generated dashboards, trackers, and mini apps for recurring tasks including: Users can return to these mini apps over time to continue tracking progress and ongoing activities. Google says these experiences can use live information from maps, reviews, weather data, and other real-time sources. Google is expanding Personal Intelligence support in AI Mode to nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages without requiring a subscription. Users can securely connect services including: Google says Personal Intelligence was designed around transparency, choice, and user control, allowing users to decide when app integrations are enabled or disabled.

Goodbye Google Search! Hello, err... Google AI Search

By integrating AI completely into Google Search, the company has ensured that users are better placed to find and use their AI tools If you belong to that era when searching on the internet meant typing a query and choosing the top ten blue links, then shed a tear. For, that era is officially over. The first announcement at this year's Google I/O event related to an AI-powered overhaul of Search with an intelligent search box at the centre of "Finding Nemo" on the worldwide web. The company acknowledges that this change is the biggest-ever in its 25-year history as it has been for the users of Google Search during this period. The entry point into the internet will never be the same again. So, gone are the simple list of links based on Google's indexing of web pages. Now, users will find themselves in an AI-powered interactive experience. However, that's not all that Google is doing to make search artificially intelligent. It also has a slew of tools that can send out "information agents" to bring back information for the user. And that's not all as Google also has tools that can let users build their own personalised mini apps that would deliver on their specific needs. "When people use our AI-powered features in Search, they use Search more. Search has become less about individual queries and feels more like an ongoing conversation, giving you deeper insights and connecting you with the vastness of the web," says Google boss Sundar Pichai in a blog post. So, any distinction that may've existed between the Gemini AI chatbot and Google Search has now officially disappeared. Just around the time when Google was making these announcements, this author was sharing notes with a contributor to our news feed on how the AI supremacy battle is now between the red and blue corner in the ring as OpenAI and Anthropic trade blows. Suddenly, Google was out of the reckoning. But no, Big Daddy is still very much here. And Sundar Pichai made that clear at the conference stating that Google Search has 3 billion monthly users while Gemini chatbot is at a distant 900 million. OpenAI's ChatGPT may be perched higher than Gemini but that number is nowhere close to what Search has garnered over the past two decades (Google's Tortoise to OpenAI's Hare!) The next time anyone compares ChatGPT or Claude with Gemini, think again as the battle is now officially between Google Search and all the other young pretenders. By turning Google Search into an AI chatbot in some shape means that the common folk who may never click on the Gemini link are more likely to get exposed to a wider range of AI tools than ever before. Small wonder then that Google Search boss Liz Reid said on stage at the I/O that this was the company's biggest search box upgrade in 25 years.

Google Expands AI-Generated Advertising in Search Results | PYMNTS.com

The initiative comes as the tech giant seeks to maintain its dominance in digital advertising amid rising competition from Meta and OpenAI, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday (May 20). The new formats include "conversational discovery" ads, where Google's Gemini model generates ad content by drawing from a brand's website and marketing materials based on specific user prompts, the report said. Another format, "highlighted answer" ads, provides AI-generated product explanations. Google is also expanding "direct offers," which are discounted product advertisements, from its AI Mode into traditional search results. Shashi Thakur, Google's vice president and general manager of search ads, said while AI provides conversational responses, the company is rethinking "what an ad is" to ensure continued value for users, per the report. To assist marketers, Google introduced an AI Brief tool, allowing brands to influence the AI-generated copy by emphasizing or removing specific phrases, the report said. Despite these controls, advertisers will not have full authority over the final imagery or text, according to the report. While the new ads are excluded from the standalone Gemini app, Google executives indicated that successful formats from AI Mode would likely transition to the app in the future. To maintain user trust, a Google spokesperson confirmed in the report that all new formats will be clearly labeled as "sponsored." The company has also implemented "strong guardrails" to prevent AI hallucinations in ad copy, Thakur said, per the report. This is the latest step of Google's company-wide AI push. A central piece of this strategy is the experimental AI Pointer, a cursor developed by DeepMind that interprets on-screen content to perform complex tasks, such as converting data tables into charts without manual prompting. Google has also embedded Klarna's buy now, pay later (BNPL) options into Google Pay within Gemini conversations and Search, an integration designed to synchronize AI agents with retail systems via the Universal Commerce Protocol. Simultaneously, the company is scaling its specialized AI tools, launching a reimagined Google Finance in Europe featuring AI-generated insights from live earnings calls.

Google Rebuilds Search Around AI After 25 Years | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. At its I/O developer conference in Mountain View, Google unveiled what it called the biggest Search upgrade in over 25 years. The redesigned interface accepts text, images, documents, video and open browser tabs and responds with synthesized answers rather than a ranked list of links. Alongside it, Google launched persistent AI agents in Search that monitor topics and push notifications without being prompted. One year after its debut, AI Mode has surpassed 1 billion monthly users, queries more than doubling every quarter, Google noted. VP of Search Liz Reid told reporters query volume hit an all-time high last quarter. Google Search and advertising revenue reached $60.4 billion in the first quarter, up 19% year over year. That ran counter to predictions AI-generated answers would hollow out Search's ad business, PYMNTS found. The redesigned interface anticipates intent, expanding as users describe what they need. Users can attach documents, images, videos and Chrome tabs to the search box, The Verge reported. The more consequential announcement for commerce and payments is what Google calls information agents. Unlike tools that respond only when prompted, these agents operate continuously, monitoring topics and pushing notifications when something relevant surfaces. Use cases range from apartment hunting to tracking product drops and financial developments, Google said. TechCrunch noted that information agents are the next evolution of Google Alerts, now built on a reasoning layer that synthesizes conflicting perspectives. They launch first for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer. That's the same rollout model governing Gemini Spark, its new personal AI agent running 24/7 on Google Cloud, integrating with Gmail, Docs and third-party services over MCP. The company also introduced Universal Cart, built on Google Wallet, working across Search, the Gemini app, YouTube and Gmail. Once a product is added, it monitors for price drops, surfaces price history and alerts users when an item is back in stock. The interface is new. Google's Agent Payments Protocol creates a verifiable link between user, merchant and payment processor, with tamper-proof mandates ensuring the agent acts within user-specified boundaries, the company explained. The Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard Google debuted earlier this year with Amazon, Shopify and Walmart, gives AI assistants a common language for any merchant without bespoke integrations. Universal Cart arrives in Search and the Gemini app in the U.S. this summer, YouTube and Gmail to follow, with UCP-powered checkout expanding to Canada, Australia and the U.K.