Google I/O 2025, which took place on May 20, focused entirely on artificial intelligence. Instead of new gadgets or hardware, Google used the two-hour keynote to show how its AI systems — especially Gemini — are being added to nearly every product. These tools are not hidden in the background anymore. They are becoming visible, active parts of how people search, browse, create, and communicate online.
Here’s a list of the 15 most important updates, showing how Google is turning AI into a daily tool across its apps, devices, and services.
AI Becomes the Core: Search, Chrome, and Smarter Assistants
Google started the keynote by showing how AI now runs at the center of its most-used tools. These updates focus on search, browsing, and smarter assistants that act on their own.
AI Mode in Search Goes Live in the U.S.
A new tab called AI Mode has been added to Google Search. It lets people search using a chat window powered by Gemini instead of typing short words into a bar. This new mode helps users ask longer questions and get answers in full sentences.
Google said that people now write search questions that are 2–3 times longer than before. For now, AI Mode is only available in the United States, but a wider release is planned.
Gemini in Chrome for Paid Users
Starting May 21, people who pay for AI Pro or AI Ultra subscriptions will see Gemini built into Chrome. The assistant can read and explain web pages, compare products, or help with browsing steps — directly inside tabs. Right now, it works with two tabs at a time, but Google plans to increase this number.
Project Astra Gets Visual Intelligence
Project Astra, an experimental assistant from Google, now understands what it sees through the phone camera. It can react to visuals without being asked. For example, it might notice an error in a math assignment or help identify things around the user. It watches, thinks, and then speaks — only when it has something useful to say.
Search Live and Gemini Live Add Visual Input
The new Search Live feature lets users show something to the camera and keep talking to the assistant. It stays in the conversation, understands what it sees, and gives helpful answers. At the same time, Gemini Live now allows everyone to share their screen — on both Android and iOS — without needing a subscription.
AI Ultra Subscription Introduced at $250/Month
Google announced a top-tier plan called AI Ultra. It costs $250/month and gives users access to advanced AI features before others. This includes early use of Gemini in Chrome, Project Mariner (a future agent for automating browser tasks), and larger limits for complex AI jobs.
Create with AI: Videos, Images, and Interface Designs
Next, Google introduced creative tools powered by Gemini, Imagen 4, and Veo 3. These let users generate content and design apps using just words or sketches.
Flow: New App for Short AI Videos
Flow is a tool that lets users make 8-second video clips using short text descriptions or pictures. It combines the powers of Veo 3, Imagen 4, and Gemini. Inside the app, people can change the clip’s style, add effects, or link clips into longer videos — all using simple voice or text commands. Google hopes Flow will someday be used for longer films.
Imagen 4 and Veo 3 Released
Imagen 4 creates better images from words. It can handle different image types and adds clearer text-to-image generation.
Veo 3 makes videos with sound and lets users control the virtual camera or remove objects. Even Veo 2 was updated with more editing tools.
Stitch: AI That Designs User Interfaces from Sketches
Stitch is a design tool that builds app interfaces from simple drawings or written descriptions. People can upload rough sketches or explain what they need, and the system builds the layout. Stitch supports screenshots and UI previews. It’s still in testing, but it may soon rival tools from Figma or Adobe.
AI in Meetings, Email, and Conversations
AI is also making communication smoother across languages, screens, and apps. From Gmail to Meet, Google is adding real-time help and personalized responses.
Real-Time Voice Translation in Google Meet
Google Meet now supports real-time translation, starting with English-to-Spanish voice conversations. It’s available in beta for AI Pro and Ultra users. The speech is translated with very little delay, making meetings smoother across languages. More languages will be added later.
Gmail’s Smart Replies Become More Personal
Smart Replies in Gmail now use the content of your inbox and files from Google Drive. This helps create more personalized and context-aware answers. The tool understands if a reply should be formal or casual and can pull in files like Sheets or Maps links when needed. The rollout starts in July 2025.
XR and Wearables: Glasses and Extended Reality
One of the few hardware-related updates was about smart glasses and the Android XR platform. Google showed how Gemini will work in real-world environments.
Project Aura: Smart Glasses Powered by Android XR
Project Aura is a pair of smart glasses, developed with Xreal, that uses the Android XR platform. The glasses look like sunglasses and include cameras and microphones. They support real-time translation, navigation, and other tasks powered by Gemini.
Aura is still a prototype, but it shows how Google plans to bring mixed reality into daily life. Other companies like Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster are also working on their own versions with Google.
Android XR Platform Expands
The Android XR system — introduced earlier with Project Moohan — now supports more smart wearables and uses Gemini for interaction. It will compete directly with Apple’s Vision Pro by supporting richer AR content and better voice input.
AI + Commerce: Shopping and Online Safety
Google is also testing how AI can help with shopping and account safety. From trying on clothes virtually to fixing passwords, these tools aim to simplify digital tasks.
AI-Powered Virtual Shopping and Try-On
Google is testing virtual fitting rooms that use photos of the user’s body to show how clothes might look. It’s still in the test phase. The same tools are also added to AI Mode, where the assistant can help you find products, track prices, and even buy items automatically when prices drop.
Chrome Will Auto-Replace Weak Passwords
In a future update, Chrome will be able to automatically replace unsafe passwords with stronger ones. If a user agrees, Chrome will log into the site and change the password on its own. This goes beyond the current alert system in Google Password Manager, which only suggests changes.
Platform Improvements and Quiet Additions
Finally, Google shared smaller but important updates to Android, Wear OS, and developer tools. Many of these run on Gemini 2.5 Flash and improve how apps work behind the scenes:
Android 16 Beta 4.1 is available now. Full release is expected in June;
Wear OS 6 adds more visual style with Material 3 Expressive and offers easier ways to customize the look;
NotebookLM is now available as a mobile app and runs on Gemini 2.5 Flash, offering better document reading and response;
Project Mariner, a new AI system that runs browser tasks, will soon be part of the Gemini API.
Why Gemini Is No Longer Just a Name
Google I/O 2025 marked a significant shift in the company’s approach to artificial intelligence, emphasizing practical applications that seamlessly integrate into users’ daily lives. CEO Sundar Pichai described the introduction of AI Mode in Search as a “total reimagining of search,” highlighting its potential to handle more complex queries and provide conversational, AI-driven responses.
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, elaborated on the advancements with Gemini 2.0, stating that the goal is to develop AI that is “personal, proactive, and powerful,” capable of understanding context and taking actions on behalf of users across various devices.
These developments underscore Google’s commitment to transitioning from traditional search and productivity tools to a more integrated, AI-first ecosystem, aiming to redefine user interactions across its platforms.
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