Google Rolls Out Biggest Changes to Search in 25 Years

Google announces major AI upgrades to Search and Gemini at its annual I/O developer conference, introducing new AI agents, coding tools, and expanded AI-driven features as competition with OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI firms continues to intensify.

One of the biggest changes was Google’s effort to turn Search into a more active AI-driven experience instead of simply displaying links. The company introduced AI agents capable of carrying out tasks such as monitoring ticket availability, making purchases, organising schedules, and generating reports using information pulled from products like Gmail, Chrome, and YouTube.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said users are engaging more with Search as AI features become more integrated into the platform.

Google Pushes AI Deeper Into Search

The announcements marked Google’s biggest AI showcase since the company expanded the Gemini model family last year in response to growing pressure from ChatGPT and AI-focused search competitors like Perplexity. Executives at the conference made it clear that Google now sees AI as central to the future of Search itself. Liz Reid, who leads Google’s search team, said the company was entering “the next chapter of Google Search,” describing AI as becoming fully embedded into the search experience.

Nick Fox, senior vice president overseeing Google’s Search and Ads division, described the changes as the “biggest reinvention of the search box in 25 years.”

Search remains Google’s largest revenue driver. Alphabet reported US$402.8 billion in revenue in 2025, while the company is expected to spend between US$180 billion and US$190 billion this year on AI infrastructure and related expansion.

Gemini Models and AI Agents Expand

Google also introduced new additions to its Gemini AI model lineup. Gemini 3.5 Flash, designed for coding and automated tasks, was launched immediately, while Gemini 3.5 Pro is expected next month. The company has been increasing its focus on AI-powered coding tools, including hiring talent from AI coding startup Windsurf as competition around software development assistants continues to grow.

Another announcement was Gemini Spark, an AI agent capable of combining information across Google applications to generate summaries, reports, and scheduling support automatically.

According to Pichai, Gemini now has around 900 million monthly users, up from roughly 400 million a year ago. Google’s AI Overviews feature in Search reportedly serves 2.5 billion monthly users, while AI Mode has reached about one billion users. Google also demonstrated Search features capable of generating visuals, interactive tools, and code-based explanations directly inside search results.

Gemini Omni and Smart Glasses Return

The company also unveiled Gemini Omni, a new AI video model that executives described as part of Google’s broader effort to build what DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis called a “world model” — systems capable of understanding and simulating real-world environments.

According to Hassabis, the technology is beginning with video generation but could eventually expand into broader multimodal AI systems capable of generating different forms of output from various types of input.

Beyond software, Google also hinted at a renewed push into smart glasses through partnerships with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster. The company said the devices are expected to launch during the southern hemisphere spring.