Google unveils major AI overhaul: Gemini 3.5 Flash, smart glasses

Google announced Gemini 3.5 Flash, a faster and cheaper AI model, and Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI agent that autonomously manages tasks like organizing events and emails, during its I/O conference in Mountain View. The company also showcased Gemini Omni, a multimodal AI system capable of generating video, images, and text from any input, while highlighting its AI’s rapid growth—processing 3.2 quadrillion tokens monthly." "article": "Google unveiled major advancements in AI at its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, emphasizing integration into daily life. The company introduced Gemini 3.5 Flash, a new AI model designed to run four times faster than competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic, while reducing costs for businesses. Google also launched Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI agent that autonomously handles tasks such as scheduling, email management, and event coordination—even after users close their devices. Demonstrations showed Spark organizing a neighborhood block party, managing RSVPs, and generating reports without human input. Gemini Spark will initially roll out in beta for U.S. subscribers to Google’s premium AI plans, with global expansion expected later. The system will eventually integrate with third-party apps like Canva, OpenTable, and Instacart. Meanwhile, Google highlighted Gemini Omni, a multimodal AI capable of generating video, images, and text from user-provided inputs, showcasing its versatility. The company reported processing over 3.2 quadrillion AI tokens monthly, up from 9.7 trillion two years ago, underscoring rapid AI adoption. Google’s AI-powered Search products now reach 2.5 billion monthly users, while the standalone Gemini app has 900 million global users. The updates will eventually roll out to widely used platforms like Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Android, and Chrome. Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, framed the advancements as part of a broader push to embed AI into everyday tasks, from trip planning to drafting correspondence. The focus is on making AI interactions more natural, allowing users to speak in conversational styles while the system understands and executes complex requests. Google also emphasized breaking down barriers to accessing advanced AI processing power, positioning its tools as accessible for both businesses and consumers.