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For the last 25 years, searching the internet has meant one thing: going to Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL). But as tools like ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms change how people search, answer questions, and explore the web, concerns have grown that Google’s long-time dominance may be under threat.

At Google I/O 2025, the company’s response was clear: search isn’t going away… it’s evolving. Central to that pitch is the rollout of AI Mode, an AI-powered experience integrated directly into Google Search and powered by the company’s Gemini 2.5 model. 

Positioned as a next-generation Search experience, AI Mode brings contextual answers, chat-style interactions, and personalized insights into the traditional search box.

AI Mode builds on the success of AI Overviews, which the company says are now used by over 1.5 billion people each month. Google wants users to view AI not as a competitor to Search but as part of its DNA, designed to “augment, not replace” the familiar interface. "This is the future of Google Search, a search that goes beyond information to intelligence," said Google’s Liz Reid.

The broader strategy is clear: keep people in Google’s ecosystem by weaving AI into services they already use. Whether you’re typing a query, browsing in Chrome, or flipping through Gmail, Gemini is increasingly positioning itself as the layer through which all information flows. 

“You don’t have to leave what you know, we’ve brought AI to you,” was the implicit message, reinforced by new features like Gemini embedded in Chrome, which gives contextual summaries and helps users navigate tabs and tasks with voice and agentic interactions.

If the search announcement was about defending Google’s core business, the unveiling of Gemini-powered Android XR smart glasses was about staking a claim on the future interface of computing. Google showcased live functionality including real-time translations, directions, and notifications… a direct challenge to Meta’s smart glasses collab with Ray-Ban.

CEO Sundar Pichai hinted at this pursuit in a recent All-In Podcast interview, citing comfort and wearability as a current barrier to AI-powered glasses, one addressed by partnerships with Warby Parker (NYSE:WRBY) and Gentle Monster (NASDAQ:MNST).

Warby Parker co-CEOs Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal described the collaboration as blending “the best of AI and the best of eyewear,” with Google committing up to $150 million in investment and commercialization funding toward the project. The goal is to pair technology with fashion sensibilities, launching prescription and non-prescription versions that users can wear all day, something that has eluded previous efforts in the smart glasses category.

In another bid to monetize the AI shift, Google introduced a new AI Ultra subscription tier, priced at $249.99/month, offering advanced access to 30TB of cloud storage, priority models, and tools for building and managing AI agents. This premium plan effectively targets developers, creative professionals, and enterprises looking for integrated tools, a tier above the rebranded $19.99/month AI Pro plan, which remains free for students in select countries.

More immediate for consumers is Search Live, a feature that brings Google’s Project Astra capabilities directly into Search via the camera. Launching later this summer in Labs, Search Live lets users ask contextual questions in real time, for example, pointing at a product to learn more, or using the camera to get troubleshooting help.

Google also introduced its next step in immersive communications with Google Beam, the evolution of Project Starline. Developed in partnership with HP (NYSE:HPQ), Beam offers 3D video calling with real-time translation and millimeter-level head tracking. 

For media creators, Google also announced Google Flow, a next-gen filmmaking tool combining Veo 3 and Imagen 4 under a seamless UI, able to generate videos, full scenes, dialogue, and graphics using natural language.

The underlying models powering these systems are also getting updates. Veo 3 adds native audio generation and improved physics, while Imagen 4 enhances rendering capabilities, particularly in natural textures like fur, water, and fabric. Both are rolling out today under the Gemini AI Pro plan, with Flow available under AI Ultra.

Other upgrades included tools like Jules, an autonomous coding agent now in public beta; AI-generated Smart Replies coming to Gmail this summer; text-to-video improvements via Gemini 2.5 Flash; and the expansion of SynthID Detector, which helps users identify AI-generated content by detecting watermarks in uploaded files.

Key Announcements at Google I/O 2025:

• AI Mode: Generative AI experience integrated into Search; responds to complex queries, supports data visualizations, and links to Gmail.

• Search Live: Real-time Search via camera, launching this summer in Labs.

• Android XR smart glasses: Gemini-powered, with real-time overlays; Warby Parker, Xreal, and Gentle Monster as launch partners.

• AI Ultra subscription: $249.99/month premium tier with advanced models and 30TB storage.

• Google Beam: AI-first 3D video calling platform developed from Project Starline.

• Google Flow: Film editing and video generation tool built with Veo 3 and Imagen 4.

• Gemini in Chrome: Contextual AI support throughout browser beta/dev builds.

• Smart Replies in Gmail: Personalized response generation, launching this summer.

• Jules coding agent: Automates development tasks, globally accessible in public beta.

Despite the flash and technical depth, investor sentiment was mixed. Google shares fell 1.5% by Tuesday’s close, in what can be chalked up to a textbook “sell the news” profit-taking moment after a week of momentum.

Still, the message Google delivered was unmistakable: it is not behind in AI, and in fact, AI is now everywhere across the company’s products, platforms, and long-term roadmap. From glasses and search to film production and cloud infrastructure, Google is attempting to position itself not as a follower, but as the interface, and infrastructure, of tomorrow’s digital life.

This content was originally published on http://Investing.com