Overview
- Google, which announced the upgrades Tuesday at its I/O event, said Gemini Spark will debut next week for premium subscribers in the United States.
- The company set Gemini 3.5 Flash as the new default model in Gemini and AI Mode, claiming it runs about four times faster than top rivals, with 3.5 Pro expected next month.
- In the U.S. this summer, Search will add always-on agents that can make reservations, monitor news, or contact merchants, alongside a Universal Cart that pools purchases across Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail to surface the best deals.
- Google will roll out SynthID to label or detect AI-generated media in core products like Search and Chrome, and OpenAI plans to integrate the tool as well.
- Publishers and European media groups are pressing challenges that AI summaries drain clicks and money, with a U.S. complaint by Penske Media and a referral by the European Publishers Council, as Google holds back some features outside the U.S.