Google search is changing

Google Search is moving into the next phase of its AI-powered transformation. At Google I/O 2026, the company unveiled a redesigned search box that combines classic search, AI Overviews, and AI Mode into a more cohesive experience. Google wants users to no longer have to think about whether to use regular search, AI Overviews, or conversational mode. They’ll type their question into the familiar Google search bar, and the system will choose the most useful way to answer.

The redesigned search box is powered by a new model Gemini 3.5 Flash, which Google describes as a faster and more efficient model designed for agent tasks, programming, and longer-running processes.

The search bar is becoming a place for conversation, files, and context

Google has redesigned the search box to expand for longer questions and help users with new AI-powered autocomplete. The search engine will not just wait for a completed query, but will try to understand the direction of the question and help the user formulate it. For naturally written questions, the user will see AI Overviews, i.e. summaries of answers generated by AI, more often.

Another important change is the transition between AI Overviews and AI Mode. If a user asks a follow-up question in the overview, Google will redirect them to the conversational AI Mode. They can also jump there directly by attaching documents, photos, videos, or Chrome tabs to the search box. This moves search away from the old model where we typed in a few keywords and then read the links ourselves.

For traditionalists, there is still the option to select the Web tab, which displays classic web results. This is important because some users still want to avoid artificial intelligence answers and prefer to browse web sources themselves.

The question for website owners is whether this will further negatively impact their visibility in search results. Already, AI-generated summaries are stealing a lot of clicks, so everyone is looking for ways to make their website appear as a source in Google's summaries.

Google is also moving toward a future where search doesn’t wait for users to open it. This summer, Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers will be able to launch new information agents that can track topics in the background. For example, a user can specify when they want to track their favorite band’s tour, and the agent will automatically check for information and notify them when it finds something important. These agents will be able to use Personal Intelligence, which means they can connect with other Google accounts and apps, like Gmail, and tailor responses to the user’s context.

In the coming months, Google will also add a generative UI feature to Search, which will allow you to create custom widgets and apps directly in the search engine. AI Overviews will be able to create interactive visualizations, such as a diagram explaining how a black hole works, and include it directly in the answer.

This is a very interesting move. Instead of the user searching for a website that already has the appropriate tool, Google can create a tool for them on the fly. This can be for educational explanations, calculations, comparisons, plans, graphs, or small interactive displays.

But there is a risk here too. If a search engine itself creates a visualization or application, the result must be correct, understandable, and verifiable.

Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers will get another advanced option: creating so-called super apps directly in Search. For example, a user will be able to ask Google to create a home fitness tracker, connect it to weather data and a calendar, and create an app that they can return to later or share with others.