Google Adds AI Agents To Search, Redesigns Search Box At I/O via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google upgraded AI Mode with Gemini 3.5 Flash as the new default model and redesigned the Search box with AI capabilities, the company announced at I/O. The changes also include search agents and an international expansion of Personal Intelligence.

Liz Reid, VP and Head of Search, said AI Mode has passed one billion monthly users. She said queries have more than doubled every quarter since launch and reached an all-time high last quarter.

Gemini 3.5 Flash As Default In AI Mode

Google made Gemini 3.5 Flash the new default model in AI Mode for everyone globally, starting today.

The update continues a broader pattern of model upgrades across Google’s AI products. Google made Gemini 3 the default for AI Overviews in January and, in December, launched Gemini 3 Flash as the default in the Gemini app.

Redesigned AI Search Box

Google redesigned the Search box with AI. Reid called it the biggest upgrade to the Search box in over 25 years.

The new box expands dynamically to accommodate longer queries. It offers AI-powered suggestions beyond autocomplete and accepts multimodal inputs, including images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs. Standard search results still appear alongside AI features. The redesigned box is rolling out today in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available.

Separately, users can now ask follow-up questions directly from an AI Overview, which then flows into a conversational AI Mode session. Context carries over between the two. This is live today on desktop and mobile worldwide.

Search Agents

The company announced search agents that run in the background to monitor the web and deliver updates. The first type, information agents, will look across the web, including blogs, news sites, and social posts. They’ll also tap Google’s real-time data on finance and shopping.

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

Agentic booking is also expanding to local experiences and services. Users can share criteria and get results with pricing and availability. For select categories, such as home repair and pet care, Google said users can ask it to call businesses on their behalf. These booking features will roll out to everyone in the U.S. this summer.

Google also announced new agentic shopping capabilities in Search, with details on a separate Shopping blog post.

Generative UI And Mini Apps

The Antigravity platform and Gemini 3.5 Flash coding capabilities are coming to Search. In response to a query, Search can generate custom visual tools and simulations tailored to the question.

Google said Search can also build custom dashboards or trackers that users can return to over time. Reid compared these to mini-apps for specific tasks, like tracking a health routine or managing a move.

The generative UI capabilities will be free for everyone in Search this summer. Antigravity mini apps will start rolling out for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. in the coming months.

Personal Intelligence Expands Internationally

Personal Intelligence in AI Mode is expanding to nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages. The feature no longer requires a subscription.

Users can connect Gmail and Google Photos to AI Mode, with Calendar support coming. The feature first launched for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in January and expanded to free U.S. users in March.

Why This Matters

These updates extend the trajectory Pichai outlined in April. He called search an “agent manager” and predicted users would run long-running tasks rather than browse results. Search agents and custom mini apps move in that direction.

More query activity within Google’s AI interfaces may mean that fewer queries result in outbound clicks. Google says queries hit an all-time high, but independent measurements have consistently found that AI Overviews reduce clicks on queries where they appear.

Personal Intelligence expanding without a subscription in nearly 200 countries is the most concrete change to monitor. Personalized results at this scale could affect how Google selects which content to surface. When connected, the system can draw on a user’s email and photos alongside web results.

Looking Ahead

Gemini 3.5 Flash is now available in AI Mode. The redesigned Search box is starting to roll out. Personal Intelligence is expanding to nearly 200 countries and territories without a subscription requirement.

Several features are scheduled for this summer with different availability tiers. Information agents and Antigravity mini apps will require an AI Pro or Ultra subscription. Agentic booking will be available to everyone in the U.S. Generative UI will be free for everyone in Search.

No timeline was given for Google Calendar integration with Personal Intelligence.

Featured Image: Danuta Hyniewska/Shutterstock