Google unveils AI search box at I/O 2026 as assistant
Google just revealed some big AI-powered upgrades for Search at I/O 2026.
The new AI Search box can handle more natural, chat-like questions and even mix text with images or other media.
Google wants Search to feel less like a search engine and more like an all-in-one assistant: think helping you shop, book stuff, or create content.
Google details phased rollouts for Search
You'll soon see features like info agents that track web updates for you, agentic booking for local services, and a Universal Cart to make shopping across Google smoother.
Personalized results will use data from your Google apps for smarter suggestions.
Some of these tools will arrive globally in phases, with local-services booking rolling out to everyone in the US, Universal Cart starting this summer in the US first, and Personal Intelligence expanding to nearly 200 countries and territories, but custom experiences with Antigravity like mini apps right in Search will start first with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.
As Liz Reid from Google puts it, "The goal of Search has always been simple: to help you ask anything on your mind." said Liz Reid, vice president and head of Search.