Google Reinvents Search With AI Agents

At its 2026 I/O conference, Google unveiled what may be the biggest transformation of Search in more than two decades. Instead of simply listing links, Google is embedding “AI agents” directly into Search so users can ask complex questions, automate tasks, and receive conversational answers. The company introduced Gemini 3.5 Flash, a faster and cheaper AI model optimized for coding and autonomous agents. Google also teased Gemini 3.5 Pro, though it stopped short of releasing it publicly.

A major focus was making AI more useful in everyday workflows. Search can now monitor topics continuously in the background, summarize information visually, and even help users complete tasks like coding or research. Google said AI Overviews now reach 2.5 billion monthly users, while Gemini itself has grown to 900 million users.

The company also lowered pricing for premium AI subscriptions to compete more aggressively against rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic. Analysts see the announcements as Google’s attempt to reclaim leadership in consumer AI after concerns last year that it was falling behind ChatGPT. Investors are now watching whether Google can successfully monetize AI without disrupting its hugely profitable advertising business