At the Google I/O 2026 conference, the company unveiled its biggest AI services update in years: new models, an agent service, a redesigned search engine, smart glasses, and online shopping tools. We break down all the announcements, separating what works now from what's coming later and what's still just slides.

The launch of ChatGPT in 2022 was a key factor accelerating Google's AI strategy. While Google Search previously functioned as a system of links and search results, the popularity of chatbots demonstrated demand for a format where users receive immediate, ready-made answers.

Google responded with the Bard chatbot, but its first demo gave an incorrect answer about the James Webb Space Telescope. Shares fell roughly 7–8%, wiping out over $100 billion in market value in a single day. Later, AI Overviews suggested adding glue to pizza, making headlines worldwide.

After these setbacks, Google restructured its strategy around Gemini and agent-based AI services. The company showcased the results of this pivot at I/O 2026, where AI became the centerpiece of most new products.

Before the announcements, Google shared several growth metrics. The company processes 3.2 quadrillion tokens per month — 330 times more than two years ago. The Gemini app's audience grew from 400 million to 900 million monthly active users in a year, roughly matching ChatGPT.

Google also revealed plans to invest between $180 and $190 billion in infrastructure in 2026, up from $31 billion three years ago.

One of the biggest announcements at Google I/O 2026 was the search engine overhaul. For the first time in 25 years, Google changed the search bar. Since 2001, it had remained the same: a long, narrow strip for short queries. Now, the bar expands as you type, accepts photos, files, and videos, and offers contextual refinements to your query.

Previously, you'd type 'borscht recipe.' Now you can write 'what to cook for dinner if I only have potatoes, eggs, and sour cream' and get a detailed answer. Google merged AI Mode and AI Overviews into a single interface. Previously two separate modes, they now form one page: ask a question, get an answer, refine it, and the context is preserved without starting a new session.

According to Google, AI Mode is already used by over a billion people monthly. After the update, classic search results and AI answers work as a unified system. Google introduced search agents that continue working after you close your browser. You can set up monitoring for any topic: new real estate listings matching criteria, price changes on products, or fresh news on a query. When something changes, the agent sends a notification. The feature launches this summer.

For complex queries, search can now generate interactive visualizations directly in results. In a demo, a student asked about black holes' effect on spacetime and received a working simulator with real-time adjustable parameters instead of text. The feature will be free and available this summer.

Google showcased new AI shopping features. A universal cart works across Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail. After adding an item, the system can track discounts, monitor price changes, and warn about product incompatibilities. According to Google, shopping features are slated for a US launch this summer.

Google updated the Gemini app. The main consumer announcement is Spark, an agent that performs tasks while you're busy with something else. It works with Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Drive, and Sheets, and can independently gather information, update documents, draft messages, and more. Initially, the service launches for Google AI Ultra subscribers in the US, with plans to expand access and add third-party integrations later.

Paid users now get Gemini Omni within the app, including image and video editing via text commands. A personalized morning digest based on Gmail, Calendar, and tasks is now available for Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers in the US.

Google introduced smart glasses with Gemini integration. The device supports voice interaction with AI, navigation, real-time translation, information search, and task execution without needing a smartphone. The glasses feature a camera, microphone, and speakers, and work with Android and iPhone. Google is developing them in partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Pricing hasn't been announced, with a fall 2026 release.

Beyond consumer services, Google unveiled tools for developers and scientists. Antigravity 2.0 is a platform for building AI agents. In a demo, the system used 93 parallel agents to write a working operating system from scratch in 12 hours for under $1,000, then ran Doom on it. Gemini for Science offers tools for analyzing papers, generating hypotheses, and climate modeling. AlphaEarth Foundations is a digital twin of the planet, while WeatherNext predicted a Category 5 hurricane's path three days earlier than traditional systems in 2025.

SynthID, a digital watermarking system for AI content, has tagged 100 billion images and videos in three years. OpenAI, Kakao, and Eleven Labs have joined the standard. Now, in Search and Chrome, users can verify whether an image was captured by a camera or generated by AI. Developer tools include updated Gemini API and Google AI Studio, plus new Android and web development tools.

Source: kun.uz