What’s New at Google in 2025: AI-Driven Innovations, Accessibility, and BeyondMay 24, 2025

What’s New at Google in 2025: AI-Driven Innovations, Accessibility, and Beyond
May 24, 2025

Google’s 2025 updates reflect its deepening integration of AI across products, from search to smart devices, while addressing accessibility, security, and creative tools. Here’s a breakdown of the latest advancements:

1. AI Revolutionizes Search

Google is doubling down on AI-powered search experiences with AI Mode, now rolling out to all U.S. users. This feature transforms Search into a conversational partner, enabling real-time interactions via camera (Project Astra’s “Search Live”) and agentic capabilities like booking reservations or buying tickets through Project Mariner . Key highlights:

• Deep Search: For complex queries, AI digs deeper into topics and generates visualizations for sports/finance data.
• Virtual Try-On: Users can upload photos to virtually try on apparel, now live in Search Labs .
• AI Overviews: Used by 1.5 billion monthly users globally, these summaries now leverage Gemini 2.5, enhancing accuracy and depth .

2. Gemini Gets Smarter and More Versatile

Google’s Gemini models are now more powerful and integrated:

• Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash: The Pro model leads in learning and reasoning, while Flash optimizes speed for coding tasks. Both include thought summaries for developers and enhanced security against prompt injections .
• Agent Mode: Coming soon, this experimental feature lets Gemini act autonomously (e.g., managing calendars or tasks) for Ultra subscribers .
• Gemini in Chrome: Rolling out to desktop users, enabling AI assistance directly in the browser .

3. Android and Pixel Updates

• May 2025 Security Patch: Addresses critical vulnerabilities (e.g., CVE-2025-27700) but has caused battery drain issues on Pixel devices. Google is expected to resolve this in June .
• Google System Updates:
• Play Store improvements: Enhanced app discovery, inline installs, and travel content integration .
• Wallet expansion: Available in more countries .
• Android Accessibility:
• Gemini + TalkBack: Screen readers can now ask questions about images or entire screens .
• Expressive Captions: Captions now convey emotion and extended sounds (e.g., “nooooo”) .

4. Generative AI for Creativity

• Veo 3: Generates videos with audio for Ultra subscribers, while Veo 2 adds camera controls and object editing .
• Imagen 4: A photorealistic image model with fine detail rendering, available in Gemini and Vertex AI. A faster “Imagen 4 Fast” is coming soon .
• Canvas Updates: Create interactive infographics, podcasts, or web pages from text prompts .

5. New Subscription Tiers and Accessibility

• Google AI Ultra: At $249.99/month, this premium tier offers 30 TB storage, YouTube Premium, and exclusive tools like Veo 3 .
• Free Access for Students: Eligible students in the U.S., Brazil, and other regions get Gemini upgrades for a year .
• Chrome Accessibility:
• PDF OCR: Scanned PDFs are now screen-reader friendly.
• Page Zoom: Customizable text sizing on Android without disrupting layouts .

Looking Ahead

Google’s 2025 roadmap hints at Android XR glasses (partnering with Warby Parker) and broader AI agent testing for tasks like live video searches . However, challenges remain, such as Pixel update bugs and concerns over AI’s impact on web traffic .

For developers, tools like Project Euphonia’s open-source datasets aim to improve speech recognition inclusivity, particularly for non-English speakers .

Final Thoughts
Google’s 2025 innovations underscore its AI-first vision, blending cutting-edge technology with practical accessibility. While hurdles like battery drain and ethical debates persist, these updates promise to redefine how we interact with information, creativity, and each other.

Explore more from Google I/O 2025 here .

Google’s 2025 updates reflect its deepening integration of AI across products, from search to smart devices, while addressing accessibility, security, and creative tools. Here’s a breakdown of the latest advancements:

1. AI Revolutionizes Search

Google is doubling down on AI-powered search experiences with AI Mode, now rolling out to all U.S. users. This feature transforms Search into a conversational partner, enabling real-time interactions via camera (Project Astra’s “Search Live”) and agentic capabilities like booking reservations or buying tickets through Project Mariner . Key highlights:

• Deep Search: For complex queries, AI digs deeper into topics and generates visualizations for sports/finance data.
• Virtual Try-On: Users can upload photos to virtually try on apparel, now live in Search Labs .
• AI Overviews: Used by 1.5 billion monthly users globally, these summaries now leverage Gemini 2.5, enhancing accuracy and depth .

2. Gemini Gets Smarter and More Versatile

Google’s Gemini models are now more powerful and integrated:

• Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash: The Pro model leads in learning and reasoning, while Flash optimizes speed for coding tasks. Both include thought summaries for developers and enhanced security against prompt injections .
• Agent Mode: Coming soon, this experimental feature lets Gemini act autonomously (e.g., managing calendars or tasks) for Ultra subscribers .
• Gemini in Chrome: Rolling out to desktop users, enabling AI assistance directly in the browser .

3. Android and Pixel Updates

• May 2025 Security Patch: Addresses critical vulnerabilities (e.g., CVE-2025-27700) but has caused battery drain issues on Pixel devices. Google is expected to resolve this in June .
• Google System Updates:
• Play Store improvements: Enhanced app discovery, inline installs, and travel content integration .
• Wallet expansion: Available in more countries .
• Android Accessibility:
• Gemini + TalkBack: Screen readers can now ask questions about images or entire screens .
• Expressive Captions: Captions now convey emotion and extended sounds (e.g., “nooooo”) .

4. Generative AI for Creativity

• Veo 3: Generates videos with audio for Ultra subscribers, while Veo 2 adds camera controls and object editing .
• Imagen 4: A photorealistic image model with fine detail rendering, available in Gemini and Vertex AI. A faster “Imagen 4 Fast” is coming soon .
• Canvas Updates: Create interactive infographics, podcasts, or web pages from text prompts .

5. New Subscription Tiers and Accessibility

• Google AI Ultra: At $249.99/month, this premium tier offers 30 TB storage, YouTube Premium, and exclusive tools like Veo 3 .
• Free Access for Students: Eligible students in the U.S., Brazil, and other regions get Gemini upgrades for a year .
• Chrome Accessibility:
• PDF OCR: Scanned PDFs are now screen-reader friendly.
• Page Zoom: Customizable text sizing on Android without disrupting layouts .

Looking Ahead

Google’s 2025 roadmap hints at Android XR glasses (partnering with Warby Parker) and broader AI agent testing for tasks like live video searches . However, challenges remain, such as Pixel update bugs and concerns over AI’s impact on web traffic .

For developers, tools like Project Euphonia’s open-source datasets aim to improve speech recognition inclusivity, particularly for non-English speakers .

Final Thoughts
Google’s 2025 innovations underscore its AI-first vision, blending cutting-edge technology with practical accessibility. While hurdles like battery drain and ethical debates persist, these updates promise to redefine how we interact with information, creativity, and each other.

Explore more from Google I/O 2025 here .