Google Introduces AI-Enhanced Search and New Smart Glasses
At its annual I/O conference, Google unveiled significant updates to its search engine and introduced a new line of smart glasses aimed at everyday consumers. The company is integrating advanced artificial intelligence into its search bar, the core feature of the world’s most visited website, while also re-entering the smart eyewear market more than a decade after its initial attempt.
During the Google I/O event, executives revealed that the search box will now support longer and more specific queries, resembling natural conversational questions people ask each other rather than brief keyword searches. These enhancements will encourage users to interact directly with Google’s chatbot. This transformation is powered by Google’s newly announced AI model, Gemini 3.5.
Gemini 3.5 is designed to generate longer text predictions based on user input than previous models. A typical search will also feature more visual content and interactive suggestions, enabling users to perform tasks such as creating calendar invites or planning spreadsheets within Google’s suite of products.
“Google Search is AI search,” said Elizabeth Reid, who oversees the product, calling the changes the biggest Google Search had seen in its nearly 30-year history.
The updates were made available globally on both desktop and mobile versions of Google Search starting Tuesday. Promotional materials showcased results that resemble visually enhanced AI Overviews—concise, bulleted summaries—rather than traditional lists of links. Users retain the option to view the classic link-based search results by selecting a tab labeled “Web.”
Reid noted that Google Search queries reached an all-time high last month. Since the launch of Search’s “AI Mode” a year ago, which allows users to chat with a Gemini-powered bot instead of browsing a list of links, queries to this chatbot interface have doubled every quarter. Additionally, if users add photos, videos, or documents to the Chrome browser’s search bar, Search automatically switches to AI mode.
Josh Woodward, who leads the development of the Gemini AI, stated that the goal is to create “a universal assistant that’s personal, proactive, persistent.” The company reported that 900 million people use the Gemini app monthly, which is fewer than ChatGPT’s 900 million weekly users. The integration of autonomous AI agents into Google’s flagship search product, which billions use daily, represents a shift from niche, tech-savvy users to the broader consumer market.
rs to Google’s AI Pro and Ultra plans will have access to a feature allowing them to create “information agents,” autonomous AI bots capable of conducting in-depth research and providing summaries or action plans. A “generative user interface” will enable the creation of customized visuals and interactive elements such as dashboards based on user requests. Another new agent, Gemini Spark, can access data from users’ Gmail, Google Calendar, and other Google services to assist with research, shopping, and planning trips, appointments, or recurring tasks.
Google’s Return to Smart Glasses
In partnership with Samsung and eyewear companies Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, Google introduced “intelligent eyewear,” a collection of sunglasses and eyeglasses scheduled for release in the fall. These glasses will respond to voice commands directed at Gemini and feature embedded cameras capable of taking photos and videos. This initiative follows similar products from Meta, which has collaborated with EssilorLuxottica to market voice-activated, camera-equipped glasses under the Ray-Ban Meta brand since 2021.
Google’s initial foray into smart glasses began in 2014 with Google Glass, an optical computer priced at $1,500. The product faced widespread criticism and was discontinued the following year. The current market environment reflects changing attitudes, with Meta considering augmented-reality glasses a key growth area and Google developing a second smart glasses model featuring an in-lens display, codenamed Project Aura.
Additional Announcements at Google I/O
Other highlights from the conference included new AI coding capabilities integrated with Gemini and advancements in cybersecurity-focused AI tools.
