Google Unveils a New Era of AI Search With Gemini 3.5 Flash and Search Agents

Google announced a major new chapter for Google Search during its I/O conference, introducing deeper AI integration across the search experience. The new updates are designed not only to help users find answers, but also to complete tasks, monitor information, and build personalized experiences directly within Search.

The announcement comes one year after the launch of AI Mode, which Google says has surpassed one billion monthly users. According to the company, queries in AI Mode have more than doubled every quarter since launch, helping Search reach an all-time high in query volume last quarter.

Gemini 3.5 Flash Becomes the Default Model in AI Mode

Google confirmed that Gemini 3.5 Flash is now becoming the new default model in AI Mode globally.

The model is designed to deliver stronger performance for AI agents and coding-related tasks, while maintaining the speed and efficiency associated with Google’s Flash models. With this upgrade, Google aims to make Search more capable of understanding complex questions, handling tasks, and delivering answers that better match user intent.

The Biggest Upgrade to the Search Box in Over 25 Years

One of the most significant announcements is a complete redesign of the traditional Google Search box, which the company describes as its biggest upgrade in more than 25 years.

The new Search box is no longer just a place to type keywords. It is now an AI-powered interface that can better understand user intent and help people formulate more precise questions. Users can search using text, images, files, videos, and even Chrome tabs as additional context.

The Search box also expands dynamically, giving users more space to describe exactly what they need. It also provides AI-powered suggestions that go beyond traditional autocomplete.

Google says the new intelligent Search box is rolling out in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available.

More Conversational Search Experiences

Google is also making Search more conversational and continuous. Instead of asking one question and starting over with a new query, users can now ask follow-up questions directly from AI Overviews and move into a conversation with AI Mode.

Search will preserve the context of the conversation as users explore a topic more deeply, making links, articles, and supporting results more relevant to what they are actually trying to understand. This new experience is available globally on desktop and mobile.

Search Agents: From Answers to Continuous Monitoring

With these updates, Google is moving into what it calls the era of Search agents. Users will be able to create, customize, and manage AI agents directly inside Search to monitor information or handle recurring tasks.

Google is starting with Information agents, which operate in the background around the clock. These agents can reason across information from the web, including news sites, blogs, social posts, and real-time data across areas such as shopping, sports, and finance.

For example, a user looking for an apartment can give an agent a detailed list of requirements. The agent will continuously scan for matching listings and notify the user when suitable options appear. Similarly, a user can ask an agent to monitor when a favorite athlete launches a new sneaker collaboration.

Information agents will first launch for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer.

Search Can Help With Bookings and Local Services

Google is also expanding agentic capabilities in Search to support practical tasks such as bookings and local services.

Instead of manually searching across providers, a user could ask Google to find a private karaoke room for six people on a Friday night that serves food late. Search would then bring together pricing, availability, and direct links to complete the booking through the selected provider.

For select categories such as home repair, beauty, and pet care, users will also be able to ask Google to call businesses on their behalf. These capabilities are expected to roll out to users in the United States this summer.

Agentic Coding Comes to Search Through Antigravity

Google is also bringing the capabilities of Google Antigravity and Gemini 3.5 Flash’s agentic coding features directly into Search.

This means Search will be able to generate the ideal response format for a user’s question on the fly. For complex topics, such as astrophysics or understanding how a device works, Search can create custom layouts that include interactive visuals, tables, charts, and simulations in real time.

Google describes this as a new generative UI capability, which will become available to all Google Search users this summer at no cost.

Custom Dashboards and Mini Apps Inside Search

The new experience also extends beyond one-time answers. For ongoing tasks such as wedding planning, moving homes, or building a new wellness routine, Google Search will be able to create custom dashboards and trackers that users can return to over time.

For example, a user could ask Search to build a custom fitness tracker. Google would generate it using fresh sources such as reviews, live maps, and local data like weather, creating a personalized tool that helps the user stay on track week after week.

These custom experiences, powered by Antigravity, will roll out in the coming months, starting with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States.

Expanded Personal Intelligence in Search

Google is also expanding Personal Intelligence in AI Mode to nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages, with no subscription required.

The feature allows users to securely connect apps such as Gmail and Google Photos, with Google Calendar support coming soon. This allows Search to provide more relevant answers based on personal context, while Google says users remain fully in control of which apps they choose to connect.

Google Search Is Becoming an AI Execution Layer

Google’s latest announcements show that Search is evolving beyond a tool for finding information. It is becoming an AI-powered platform for understanding, monitoring, decision-making, and task execution.

With Gemini 3.5 Flash, the redesigned Search box, Information agents, generative interfaces, and personalized mini apps, Google is clearly working to redefine what Search means in the AI era — moving from a place where users find answers to a system that can actively work alongside them.