Google is revolutionizing its iconic search bar with a significant infusion of artificial intelligence, as announced at its annual Google I/O conference. The search box will now handle longer, more conversational queries, enabling users to interact directly with Google’s chatbot. This transformation is powered by Google’s new AI model, Gemini 3.5, which promises more extensive text predictions and interactive capabilities across Google’s suite of products. Elizabeth Reid, who heads Google Search, described these changes as the most substantial in the platform’s nearly 30-year history. The updates, debuting globally on both desktop and mobile versions, aim to create a more visual and interactive search experience, while still offering the traditional list of links under a “Web” tab.
Gemini’s advancements will allow for enhanced visual elements in search results and suggestions to utilize Google’s AI for actions like creating calendar invites or spreadsheet plans. Josh Woodward, overseeing Gemini’s development, emphasized the goal of crafting a “universal assistant” that is both personal and proactive. Despite Gemini’s impressive usage by 900 million people monthly, it still trails behind ChatGPT’s 900 million weekly users. The introduction of AI agents to Google’s search, a product accessed by billions daily, represents a broader push to integrate advanced AI into mainstream consumer use.
Subscribers to Google’s AI Pro and Ultra plans will gain access to “information agents,” autonomous AI bots capable of conducting in-depth research and delivering summaries or actionable plans. A “generative user interface” will allow for the creation of custom visuals and interactive dashboards based on user input. Gemini Spark, a new agent feature, will be able to draw information from Google services like Gmail and Calendar to assist with tasks such as research, shopping, and trip planning.
In a venture into wearable technology, Google is collaborating with Samsung and eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to launch “intelligent eyewear” this fall. These sunglasses and eyeglasses will respond to voice commands and capture photos or videos via built-in cameras. This move follows a similar initiative by Meta, which has partnered with EssilorLuxottica since 2021 to offer voice-activated, camera-equipped glasses under the Ray-Ban Meta brand.
Google’s foray into smart glasses echoes its 2014 launch of Google Glass, which faced criticism and was discontinued a year later. However, with changing perceptions and Meta’s focus on augmented-reality glasses as a growth area, Google is working on a second model of smart glasses featuring an in-lens display, known as Project Aura. This renewed interest suggests that the tech industry sees significant potential in the development of augmented reality eyewear.
