Google’s latest push is turning Search into something much closer to a conversational AI assistant than a classic list of links. At Google I/O 2026, the company made it clear that search is no longer being treated as a standalone tool, but as the center of a broader AI-first product strategy.
The shift is significant because Google is changing not only how people look for information, but also how they move across its services. Search, shopping, productivity tools, YouTube, Gmail, and even wearable devices are all being pulled into the same AI-driven direction.
Search now behaves more like a chatbot
The biggest change comes from Google Search itself, which the company describes as its largest evolution in more than 25 years. Gemini 3.5 Flash is now the default model, so users are no longer dealing with search as a simple page of links.
Instead, Search now supports text, images, video, and files within one search flow. Chrome tabs can also be used for searching, while AI Overviews and AI Mode have been combined to make the experience feel more like interacting with an AI chatbot.
Google also introduced Generative UI for Search. That system can surface charts, dashboards, interactive simulations, and even mini apps, giving results a more dynamic presentation than the familiar static interface.
New agents watch information around the clock
Beyond core Search, Google added Information Agents that can monitor news and social media for 24 hours. These agents provide automatic updates, which suggests Google wants search to become more proactive instead of waiting for users to ask every question manually.
The broader message is that search is becoming an ongoing information layer. Rather than only returning answers on demand, Google is building systems that can track changes and deliver updates as they happen.
Gemini 3.5 and Omni power the new experience
Gemini 3.5 Flash sits at the center of the new Search setup, but Google also highlighted how the model is positioned for more demanding work. The company says it is strong in coding, app development, and complex agentic AI tasks, and it claims the model outperforms Gemini 3.1 Pro while being faster for coding.
Gemini 3.5 is already available in Google AI Studio, Android Studio, and the Antigravity platform. Google is also preparing Gemini 3.5 Pro, which signals that the model family is still expanding.
Alongside it, Gemini Omni arrives as a new multimodal model. It can process images, text, and audio, create AI video, understand physics and realistic motion, and support more natural storytelling.
Daily tasks and shopping get AI support
Google is also threading AI into everyday use cases through Universal Cart. The feature works across Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail, and it can detect discounts automatically, send stock alerts, check product compatibility, and connect with Google Wallet and Google Pay.
Productivity tools are getting similar treatment. Daily Brief can read email and calendar entries to assemble priorities automatically, while Gemini now has a new Neural Expressive design.
Gemini Live is also said to be faster and more natural, with support for certain regional accents or dialects. That makes the assistant feel less scripted and more adapted to local speech patterns.
Creativity and development are part of the same push
Google expanded Gemini Omni into the Gemini App, Google Flow, and YouTube Shorts Remix. That lets users edit video through simple prompts, such as changing backgrounds, adding cinematic effects, or inserting themselves into a clip.
Google Flow and Gemini Omni Flash are now available in more than 140 countries. The platform is designed for video, music, design, and other creative tools based on natural language, while Flow Agent can help with creative brainstorming, multi-asset editing, and story recommendations.
Flow Tools lets users build their own creative tools without coding, and Flow Music supports AI song editing, genre changes, and automatic instrument changes. Google also introduced Pics for AI image editing with object segmentation and text translation inside images.
On the developer side, Antigravity is becoming the main hub for agentic AI development. The platform includes Antigravity 2.0 as a desktop app, along with CLI support, SDKs, subagents, Android, and Firebase.
AI Studio now can generate Android apps automatically, supports direct visual editing, and allows developers to publish apps to Google Play. A browser-based preview for Android Emulator is also available, and the first two apps can be deployed to Cloud for free.
Google further added Managed Agents in the Gemini API, which can browse and code automatically. To support the ecosystem, the company also announced the Gemini XPRIZE Hackathon and an AI Ultra plan priced at 100 US dollars.
YouTube and Android XR show the next direction
Google also gave YouTube and Android XR a more visible role in its AI roadmap. Ask YouTube introduces conversational video search, making it easier to search within YouTube through natural language.
At the same time, Android XR is moving toward smart glasses built through collaboration with Samsung and Gentle Monster. Together, these launches show that Google is not treating AI as a separate feature layer anymore.
The company is instead placing AI at the center of how users search, create, work, shop, and interact across its products.
Source: www.idntimes.com