Google released Gemini 3, which is now powering AI Mode for some queries. Nano Banana Pro is out and it is also used in Google Search and Google Ads. Google released a number of new AI Mode features, including agentic applications. And, Google promoted its AI Opal tool to create AI-generated content in a scalable way - yeah, hard to accept.
Having debuted just a little over two years ago, the platform feels like an early glimmer of what truly useful AI will look like in the future. If you've never tried it, think of it like a study or research assistant that can quickly generate materials that fit your particular learning style, and that can (in theory) accelerate the process of you coming to grips with a new subject.
Google is testing the ability to highlight portions of the response, to do a follow-up question on what you highlighted. It is similar to past tests on the AI Overview, but this is within AI Mode. This was spotted by Sachin Patel who shared a video of it in action and this screenshot. I cannot replicate, but here are those image assets: I think this can work, if searchers can understand when and why to do this.
For example, when someone asks 'why is there low water pressure after installing a new sink' when they encounter a problem during a home renovation, AI Overviews may provide some helpful tips on how to fix it, as well as a useful ad for a plumber, who can come to the rescue to fix that bathroom.", a new feature to help you create even more brand-safe creative, steering Google AI to create high-performing text assets that meet your brand and business requirements.
Major publishers worldwide report plunging traffic and revenue, fueling fears that their traditional business models are under existential threat, The Guardian reports in a deep dive into how the industry is reacting. It posits that Google's rapid rollout of AI-driven search features has ignited an industry-wide crisis, upending traditional publishing models and raising urgent questions about the future of journalism.
Fallon, who likely had never heard the technical term before, didn't seem to realize that IP68 - a rating that indicates phones can survive being submerged in water - isn't all that interesting as a selling point, nor is this water resistance feature new to Google's Pixel line. It's been around since the 2018 Pixel 3. We're on the Pixel 10 now, for reference.
News companies face a substantial threat from AI summaries replacing search results, leading to up to 80% fewer clickthroughs as users find information directly without clicking through.
Reviving an impossible vibe: Slice & BarkleyOKRP To relaunch the iconic 80s and 90s soda Slice, BarkleyOKRP didn't just create an ad; they resurrected a cultural moment. They used Gemini to identify surprising cultural trends and build a world around them, manifesting as a fictional (but very real) analog radio station, 106.3 The Fizz in LA.
Visits to major US news websites have plummeted since Google rolled out its artificial intelligence search feature last year, with some plunging 40%, according to troubling new data. Of the top 50 news domains, 37 suffered year-over-year traffic declines after the launch of Google's AI Overviews last May, according to SimilarWeb. The drastic dropoff comes despite headline-grabbing events that included the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last summer and his stunning election victory over Kamala Harris a few months later.
Greg Jenner, a British historian, explored how AI misinterprets made-up idioms like 'You can't lick a badger twice,' illustrating its challenges with nonsensical queries.
