Overview
- Google unveiled the changes at its I/O keynote on Tuesday, replacing the classic single-line search box with a larger, multimodal input that accepts long text, images, video, files and open Chrome tabs.
- The company made Gemini 3.5 Flash the default model for Search and said AI Mode has surpassed one billion monthly users as usage patterns shifted to far longer, more conversational and more multimodal queries.
- New features include integrated AI Overviews, an option to step into an interactive AI Mode for follow-up conversation, and persistent Search agents that run on Google Cloud to monitor the web and perform tasks automatically.
- Publishers and independent researchers warned the move will increase zero-click outcomes and reduce referral traffic, while prior 2025 studies documented frequent sourcing errors and fabricated citations in AI summaries.
- Google says the changes boost engagement and create new ad and product opportunities, but the shift concentrates editorial choices in Google’s layer over the web and raises questions about accuracy, publisher compensation and the open internet.