Key Takeaways
- Google is integrating advanced AI into its search engine with a new “AI Mode” for users in the United States.
- The company announced a premium “AI Ultra Plan” priced at $249.99 per month for power users, offering enhanced AI capabilities and early access to new tools.
- Google is also making a renewed push into smart glasses, showcasing frames with AI-driven features like real-time translation.
- CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized Google’s commitment to developing cost-effective AI that is personal and proactive.
Google is doubling down on artificial intelligence, unveiling a suite of AI-powered updates at its annual I/O conference. This move signals the tech giant’s determination to lead in the fast-paced AI race, especially with rising competition from companies like OpenAI.
A major highlight is the wider rollout of “AI Mode” within Google Search for U.S. consumers. According to Reuters, this feature, previously an experiment, will provide computer-generated answers for complex queries, going beyond the traditional list of web links.
For its most advanced users, Google introduced the “AI Ultra Plan.” This $249.99 monthly subscription unlocks higher AI usage limits and early access to experimental tools like Project Mariner and Deep Think. It also bundles 30 terabytes of cloud storage and an ad-free YouTube subscription.
This pricing strategy aligns with similar premium offerings from AI developers OpenAI and Anthropic, reflecting the substantial investment required for cutting-edge AI development. Google already has over 150 million subscribers to its existing plans, including a $19.99-per-month option with some AI features.
CEO Sundar Pichai stated that Google aims to deliver top-tier AI models efficiently, keeping costs in mind. He also shared that the Gemini AI assistant app now has more than 400 million monthly active users.
Pichai suggested that AI is set to significantly broaden the capabilities of search, rather than just replace it. “The kind of use cases we are serving in search is dramatically expanding,” he remarked, viewing AI’s impact as additive.
In a notable return to an earlier endeavor, Google showcased new smart glasses equipped with its Android XR software. Demonstrations included frames that displayed real-time language translations for the wearer.
These intelligent glasses could also provide information about the user’s surroundings. Google is collaborating with Samsung on an XR headset expected later this year and is also partnering with eyewear designers Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.
These developments arrive as Google navigates some pressure on its dominant search business, with discussions about AI chatbots potentially shifting user habits away from traditional search engines.
However, Google views AI as a new frontier for growth. A company executive pointed to AI’s potential to create “new opportunities to create hyper-relevant, useful advertising,” which remains Google’s primary revenue source.
Reflecting this focus, AI initiatives account for the majority of Alphabet’s substantial $75 billion forecasted capital expenditures for the year.
The conference also featured demos from Project Astra, Google’s testing ground for a “universal AI agent.” One example showed AI adding an event to a user’s calendar just by processing an image of a written invitation. Additionally, Google introduced Veo 3, a new AI model designed to generate realistic video and audio content.
