Google Unveils AI-Driven Search Overhaul Powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash
The new Intelligent Search Box accepts multimedia inputs, while paid subscribers gain access to autonomous booking and coding tools later this year.
At Google I/O 2026, the technology giant announced a comprehensive overhaul of its Search engine, driven by the new Gemini 3.5 Flash model. The company describes this update as the most substantial change to the search interface in 25 years. The core of the upgrade is the introduction of an Intelligent Search Box, which dynamically expands to accommodate complex queries and accepts multimedia inputs such as images, videos, files, and active Chrome tabs.
Google claims the new model offers faster inferencing and smarter results, allowing the system to process different types of media more effectively. The interface is designed to anticipate user intent, providing AI-powered suggestions that extend beyond standard autocomplete. Users can now engage in conversational continuity, asking follow-up questions to refine results rather than relying on ephemeral, single-turn searches.
A significant portion of the update focuses on agentic AI capabilities, which allow the system to perform autonomous tasks. For paying Gemini Pro and Ultra subscribers, advanced features will roll out this summer, including an information agent capable of scouring blogs, news sites, and social posts for specific items like apartments. These agents will also access real-time data on finance, shopping, and sports to format findings in useful ways.
Free users will receive limited agentic updates later this year, including the ability to book local experiences such as karaoke rooms and have Google call businesses for appointments. This functionality mirrors the Duplex AI feature tested by Google in 2018, though the company aims to improve upon the robotic tone of the earlier iteration. Additionally, the agentic coding app Antigravity will be integrated into Search, allowing users to build generative UI elements and mini apps, initially for US-based subscribers.
The update also expands Google’s Personal Intelligence feature in AI Mode to nearly 200 countries and 98 languages without a subscription. This allows users to connect Gmail, Photos, and Calendar data to deliver more accurate results, with Google stating that users retain control over which accounts are linked. These changes follow recent tests of Gemini-powered advertising formats and the announcement of a Universal Commerce Protocol to consolidate e-commerce across the company’s ecosystem.
