Google announced on Tuesday that it would infuse its search bar—the centerpiece of the world's most visited website—with a substantial dose of artificial intelligence. The tech giant is also reintroducing high-tech glasses, more than a decade after early adopters of its first eyewear were derided as 'glassholes' and shunned in San Francisco.
Search Gets an AI Overhaul
At the company's annual software developer conference, Google I/O, executives revealed that the search box will now accommodate longer, more specific queries—questions akin to those people would ask each other, rather than the idiosyncratic syntax typical of Search. These changes will direct users to interact directly with Google's chatbot. The overhaul is underpinned by the new artificial intelligence model, Gemini 3.5, announced the same day.
Executives stated that Gemini will make longer text predictions based on what users have already typed. An everyday Google search may return more visual elements and suggestions to interact with Google's AI, such as creating a calendar invite, a spreadsheet plan, or other actions within Google's product family.
'Google Search is AI search,' said Elizabeth Reid, who oversees the product, calling the changes the biggest in Google Search's nearly 30-year history. The updates rolled out globally to desktop and mobile versions of Google Search on Tuesday. A promotional video showed results that resemble visually augmented versions of AI Overviews—the bulleted summary responses currently returned by Google Search—rather than a list of links. Users can still choose the original version, a collection of links, by clicking a tab labeled 'Web'.
Reid noted that Google Search queries reached an all-time high last month. Since the debut of Search's 'AI Mode' a year ago—where users chat with a Gemini-powered bot instead of navigating links—queries to the chatbot-specific interface have doubled every quarter. If users add photos, videos, or documents to the Chrome browser's search bar, Search will automatically enter AI mode.
Gemini as a Universal Assistant
Josh Woodward, who oversees the flagship AI's development, said the goal of Google Gemini is to create 'a universal assistant that's personal, proactive, persistent.' The company announced that 900 million people use the Gemini app monthly, though this still lags behind ChatGPT's 900 million weekly users. The addition of agents to Google's flagship search product—used by billions daily—marks an expansion of niche AI beyond tech-savvy, business-focused users into the broader consumer realm.
For subscribers to its AI Pro and Ultra plans, Search will include the option to create 'information agents'—autonomous AI bots that perform in-depth research and return summaries or action plans. A 'generative user interface' feature will create customized visuals and interactive elements like dashboards based on user requests. A new agent feature, Gemini Spark, can access information from users' Gmail, Google Calendar, and other Google products to perform research, shop, and plan trips, appointments, or recurring tasks.
Smart Glasses Return
In partnership with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster, Google executives unveiled 'intelligent eyewear'—a line of sunglasses and eyeglasses set to go on sale in the fall. The glasses respond to users' voice commands to Gemini and take photos or videos with embedded cameras. Fellow tech giant Meta has partnered with EssilorLuxottica to sell similar voice-activated, camera-equipped glasses since 2021, known as Ray-Ban Meta.
In 2014, Google began selling Google Glass, another optical computer, for $1,500, which inspired widespread derision and was discontinued the following year. In a sign of shifting attitudes, Meta sees its augmented-reality glasses as a major growth area, and Google is working on a second model of smart glasses with an in-lens display, nicknamed Project Aura.
Other Announcements
Additional announcements at I/O included AI coding features for Gemini and cybersecurity-focused AI.
