Google just dropped a ton of news about its latest AI work, and it’s a lot to take in. From making search smarter to building new creative tools and making sure everything is secure, they’re really pushing the boundaries. It looks like AI is going to be everywhere, and Google wants to make sure it’s accessible to everyone. This google techcrunch exclusive gives us a peek at what’s coming.
Key Takeaways
- Google is making Search much smarter with AI, organizing results in new ways and helping users with complex questions.
- Gemini is at the heart of Google’s AI plans, with new features for voice, visual interaction, and deeper thinking.
- New projects like Astra and Mariner show Google’s focus on AI that can understand and interact with the world in real-time.
- Google is committed to making its AI tools available across many devices, not just new ones, and is providing toolkits for partners.
- Security is a big focus, with new tools to detect AI-generated content and better security for Android devices.
Google’s AI-Powered Search Evolution
Google is really changing how we find things online, and it’s all thanks to AI. They’re not just tweaking things; they’re rebuilding the search experience from the ground up. It feels like a big shift, and honestly, it’s about time.
Generative AI Enhancements for Search Results
So, what does this mean for your everyday searches? Well, Google is starting to use generative AI to organize entire search results pages. Instead of just a list of links, you might see AI-generated summaries of reviews, discussions from places like Reddit, and even lists of suggestions. This is rolling out first for things like trip planning, and they plan to expand it to food, movies, and shopping soon. It’s a pretty neat way to get a quick overview without clicking through a bunch of pages. You can see a history of how Google’s search has changed over the years here.
AI-Organized Pages Based on Query Intent
This is where it gets interesting. The AI isn’t just spitting out generic info; it’s trying to figure out what you really want. If you’re looking for inspiration, like planning a vacation, the page will look different than if you’re trying to buy a specific item. They’re aiming to make the results feel more tailored to your specific goal, whether that’s finding a recipe or comparing products. It’s like Google is getting better at reading your mind, but in a helpful way.
AI Mode for Complex, Multi-Part Questions
For those times when a simple search just won’t cut it, Google is rolling out something called AI Mode. This lets you ask really complicated questions, the kind with multiple parts. Think about asking for sports stats and then immediately asking for player comparisons based on those stats. It’s designed to handle more complex data, especially in areas like sports and finance. They’re even testing features that let you "try on" apparel virtually. It’s a big step up from just typing keywords into a box.
Gemini: The Core of Google’s AI Strategy
Gemini is really at the heart of what Google is doing with AI these days. It’s not just a chatbot; it’s becoming this central brain for a lot of their new tech. They’ve been talking about it a ton, and it’s easy to see why. It’s designed to be super flexible and understand things in ways that feel more natural to us.
Gemini Live for In-Depth Voice and Visual Interaction
This is pretty neat. Gemini Live lets you have actual conversations with Gemini on your phone. You can jump in while it’s talking to ask questions, and it tries to keep up with how you speak. It can also "see" what’s around you through your phone’s camera, whether it’s a photo or a live video feed. Think of it like a more aware version of Google Assistant, but with a much better conversational flow. It’s supposed to be less robotic and more like talking to a person, adapting as you go.
Gemini 2.5 Pro Deep Think Mode
For those who need to process a lot of information, Gemini 2.5 Pro is getting a "Deep Think Mode." This means it can handle really long documents – we’re talking up to 1,500 pages right now, and they’re planning to expand that even further. You can upload stuff from your Google Drive or directly from your phone. It’s meant to help you summarize, find specific details, or answer questions about these lengthy texts. They’re also working on letting it analyze videos and large codebases, which sounds like a big deal for developers or anyone working with complex data.
Gemini Ultra and Its Premium Features
Gemini Ultra is positioned as the top-tier model, and it comes with some extra perks for those who subscribe to Google One AI Premium. One of the cool things coming is a "planning experience" that can create travel itineraries. It’ll look at things like your flight details from emails, what you like to eat, and places you might want to visit, then put together a schedule that can even update itself if things change. Plus, you’ll be able to create "Gems" – basically, custom chatbots you can build yourself based on what you want them to do, like acting as a personal coach. These can be shared with others too. It’s all about making Gemini more personalized and useful for specific tasks.
Advancements in AI Agents and Multimodal Understanding
Google is really pushing the boundaries with how AI can interact with the world, not just through text, but by seeing, hearing, and acting. It’s like they’re building digital assistants that are actually… well, helpful in a more human way.
Project Astra: Real-Time Multimodal AI
This is pretty neat. Project Astra is all about AI that can understand things in real-time, using multiple senses. Imagine an AI that can watch a video, listen to what’s happening, and then talk about it with you, all at once. It’s designed to be super fast, so the conversation feels natural, not like you’re waiting for a computer to catch up. Google is even working with companies like Samsung and Warby Parker on glasses that could use this tech, though there’s no release date yet. This is the kind of tech that could make AI feel less like a tool and more like a partner. It’s a big step towards AI that understands context.
Project Mariner: AI Agent for Web Interactions
So, you know how sometimes you just want to buy tickets or order groceries but dread going through all the website steps? Project Mariner is Google’s answer to that. It’s an AI agent that can actually browse the web and do things for you. You just tell it what you want, like "buy tickets for the baseball game," and it handles the rest, visiting the sites and making the purchase. They’ve apparently made it much better, letting it handle a bunch of tasks at once. It’s still experimental, but the idea is to let you get things done just by chatting with the AI.
Beam: Immersive 3D Teleconferencing
While not as detailed in the provided information, Beam is mentioned as a 3D teleconferencing system. This suggests Google is exploring how AI can make virtual meetings feel more present and engaging, likely by creating more realistic or interactive 3D environments. It’s a peek into how future remote interactions might look and feel, aiming to bridge the gap between physical and digital presence.
Google’s Commitment to AI Accessibility
It’s pretty clear Google wants its new AI smarts to reach as many people as possible, and not just those buying the latest gadgets. They’re making a point of bringing these AI features to the devices many of us already own. Think about it: Google already has a massive number of devices out there, over 800 million, counting their own and ones from other companies. They’re connecting these through their Google Home system and the Matter standard, which is a good move for making different smart home stuff work together.
AI Integration Across Existing Devices
This approach means you won’t necessarily need to buy a brand-new smart speaker or phone to get the benefits of Google’s latest AI. They’re working on making sure the AI can run on the hardware you already have. For example, they’re updating the TalkBack feature on Android phones. Soon, it’ll use Gemini Nano, a smaller AI model that runs right on your phone, to describe images for people who have trouble seeing. Imagine it describing a dress: "A close-up of a black and white gingham dress. The dress is short, with a collar and long sleeves. It is tied at the waist with a big bow." That’s a really practical use of AI to help people.
Toolkits for ‘Works with Google Home’ Partners
Google is also helping out the companies that make devices that work with Google Home. They’re giving these partners new tools to help them build smarter products. This includes things like:
- A toolkit for creating AI-powered cameras.
- A new reference design for hardware.
- Advice on which processors (SoCs) to use for smart devices.
- A new Google Camera software development kit (SDK).
This kind of support helps other companies make their products better and more integrated with the Google ecosystem, which ultimately benefits us as users.
Strategic Hardware and Software Ecosystem
By focusing on integrating AI into existing devices and supporting partners, Google is building a strong hardware and software setup. They’re not just pushing out new AI models; they’re thinking about how those models fit into the everyday tech people use. This strategy aims to make AI helpful and accessible without forcing everyone to upgrade their entire setup. It’s a smart way to get their AI into more hands, faster.
New AI Models and Creative Tools
Google is really pushing the boundaries with its latest creative AI tools. It feels like every week there’s something new that can generate text, images, or even video. This time around, they’ve rolled out some pretty impressive updates that could change how creators work.
Veo 3: Advanced Video Generation
First up is Veo 3, the newest version of their video generation AI. Google says this model is way better than before at making videos that look good. It can even add sound effects, background noises, and dialogue to go along with the video it creates. Veo 3 is now available in Google’s Gemini chatbot app for subscribers of the AI Ultra plan. You can give it text prompts or even an image to get started. It’s a big step up from earlier versions, aiming to compete with other advanced video tools out there.
Imagen 4 AI Image Generator
Then there’s Imagen 4, their AI image generator. While details are still a bit light, the expectation is that this version will offer even more control and better quality for image creation. We’ve seen AI image generators get really good very quickly, and Imagen 4 is expected to keep that trend going. It’s all about giving artists and designers more power to bring their ideas to life visually.
Lyria RealTime API for Music Production
For the musicians and sound designers out there, Google has made Lyria RealTime available through an API. This is the AI model that powers their experimental music app. Having this accessible via an API means developers can start building new music creation tools and experiences. It’s pretty neat to think about what kind of new music might come out of this, allowing for real-time AI music production.
Security and Content Verification Updates
Google’s pushing hard on making sure what you see online is real, and that AI-generated stuff is clearly marked. They’ve rolled out a new tool called the SynthID Detector. Basically, it’s a way to check if an image or video was made by AI. This is super important as AI gets better at creating realistic content. The goal is to give people more confidence in the information they encounter.
Here’s a bit more on what they’re doing:
- SynthID Detector: This is the main event for content verification. It uses Google’s own SynthID watermarking technology to spot AI-generated media. Think of it like a digital fingerprint that helps tell the difference between human-made and machine-made content.
- Android Security Boost: Beyond just content, Google is also beefing up security for Android devices. They’re adding new tools and making existing ones smarter to protect your phone and data from threats. This includes better ways to spot and block malicious apps and phishing attempts.
- Safer App Rollouts: For developers, Google is giving them more control over app releases on the Play Store. If a critical bug pops up after an app goes live, developers can now hit pause on the rollout. This stops widespread issues before they affect too many users.
Wear OS and Smart Home Innovations
Google isn’t just focusing on phones and computers; they’re bringing their AI smarts to your wrist and your living room too. It’s pretty cool to see how they’re trying to make everyday devices more helpful.
Wear OS 6 Design and Theming
First up, Wear OS 6 is getting a bit of a makeover. They’re introducing a new font that’s going to be used across all the tiles, which should make things look a lot cleaner and more consistent. If you’ve got a Pixel Watch, you’ll also get dynamic theming. This means the colors of your apps will actually change to match your watch face. It’s a small touch, but it really ties the whole look together, making your watch feel more personal.
AI-Enhanced Nest Devices
This is where things get really interesting. Google is rolling out Gemini AI to a bunch of their Nest devices, like cameras and doorbells. The idea is to make these devices understand and respond to you in a much more natural way. Imagine asking your doorbell about the weather, or your camera to identify a specific object in your yard. They’ve even partnered with Walmart to bring more affordable cameras and doorbells to market under the ‘onn’ brand, which is great for accessibility. This move is part of a bigger strategy to get Gemini into more homes, not just on new hardware but also on existing devices that have the right capabilities. It’s all about making your smart home feel, well, smarter and more conversational. You can check out some of the new AI-powered devices here.
Google Home Software Platform Overhaul
Beyond the hardware, Google is also revamping its entire Google Home software platform. This isn’t just about adding new features; it’s about rethinking how you interact with your connected home. They want to move beyond simple commands and allow for more complex, multi-part questions and conversations. For example, instead of just saying "add milk to the shopping list," you might be able to say "I want to make vegetarian pad thai for four people," and Gemini will figure out the ingredients and create the list for you. They’re also looking at household coordination, like managing calendars and reminders, in a more intuitive way. It feels like they’re trying to make the Google Home ecosystem less of a collection of gadgets and more of a truly integrated, helpful assistant for your life.
Wrapping It Up
So, Google’s really pushing hard with AI, huh? It feels like they’re trying to put it everywhere, from Search to your phone and even your smart home gadgets. They’ve got a lot of new stuff coming, like Gemini Live that can actually see what you’re pointing your phone at, and Project Astra which sounds like it could make AI feel way more natural to talk to. Plus, they’re not just keeping this tech to themselves; they’re sharing tools with other companies to build AI cameras and such. It’s a big move, and it’ll be interesting to see how all these AI features actually work out in our daily lives and if they make things easier or just more complicated. We’ll have to wait and see how it all shakes out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s new with Google Search and AI?
Google is making Search smarter with AI! Imagine getting whole pages of search results organized by AI, showing helpful summaries, discussions from places like Reddit, and suggested ideas. This is especially useful when you’re planning trips or looking for recipes, and it’s coming to more searches soon.
How is Gemini getting better?
Gemini is becoming a super assistant! With Gemini Live, you can have long chats with it using your voice, and it can even understand what your phone’s camera sees. Plus, there’s a ‘Deep Think’ mode for Gemini 2.5 Pro that helps it think through tough questions before answering, making it more accurate.
What are Project Astra and Project Mariner?
Project Astra is like an AI that can see and hear in real-time, helping apps understand the world around them. Project Mariner is an AI agent that can actually use websites for you, like buying tickets or groceries, without you having to visit the sites yourself. It’s like having a helpful assistant that can browse the web.
How is Google making AI easier to use for everyone?
Google wants everyone to enjoy its AI. They’re putting AI into the devices you already have, like your phone and smart home gadgets. They’re also giving tools to companies that make smart home devices so they can add Google’s AI to their products too. This means more AI features on more devices without needing to buy all new ones.
Can Google’s AI help with creative stuff like videos and music?
Yes! Google has new AI tools for creativity. Veo 3 can make amazing videos from just text descriptions, and Imagen 4 is an AI that creates pictures. There’s also Lyria RealTime, which is an API that lets people use AI to create music.
How is Google keeping things safe with all this new AI?
Google is working hard on AI safety. They’ve created a tool called SynthID Detector that can help tell if content was made by AI. They are also adding more security features to Android devices to help protect you from scams and keep your information safe.
