Google AI Mode gets Gemini 3.5 Flash default and new search box

Google announced that Gemini 3.5 Flash is now the default model for AI Mode worldwide and that the Search box has been rebuilt to expand for longer, multimodal queries, while “information agents” will begin rolling out this summer for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers【1】. The moves aim to keep users inside Google’s AI‑enhanced search flow, a shift that could reduce outbound clicks to external sites.

New AI model and searchable UI

Google made Gemini 3.5 Flash the default AI engine for all AI Mode users, extending the upgrade path that began with Gemini 3 in January and Gemini 3 Flash in the Gemini app last December【1】. The revamped Search box now grows dynamically to hold longer queries and accepts images, files, videos and even whole Chrome tabs, a capability described by Google as the biggest box upgrade in 25 years【1】【2】. Standard web results still appear alongside AI‑generated answers, and users can ask follow‑up questions directly from an AI Overview, with the context carried into a continuous AI Mode session【1】.

Background agents and generative UI

The rollout also introduces “information agents” that will monitor the web—blogs, news sites, social posts, finance and shopping data—and push updates to users. These agents are slated for a summer release to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers【1】【2】. In parallel, Google is adding a generative UI layer (the Antigravity platform) that can build custom visual tools, dashboards or “mini‑apps” for tasks like health tracking or moving logistics, free for all users this summer and limited to subscribers for the first wave【1】. Both features extend Google’s vision of search as an “agent manager” that handles long‑running tasks without requiring users to hop between tabs【1】.

Market implications

By embedding AI capabilities directly into the classic Search box, Google reduces the friction that previously forced users to choose between a traditional results page and a separate chatbot‑style experience. Independent measurements have shown AI Overviews can cut click‑through rates, so the tighter integration may further shift traffic away from external publishers—a concern echoed by analysts monitoring brand and publisher traffic declines【1】【2】. Competitors such as Microsoft’s Bing AI have also been adding multimodal input and persistent chat windows, but Google’s scale—over a billion monthly AI Mode users and a global rollout across 98 languages—gives it a distinct advantage in data breadth and user reach【1】.

What to watch

• Summer rollout of information agents for AI Pro/Ultra users, which could alter how brands are discovered online.
• Adoption metrics for the new Search box, especially click‑through rates versus traditional results, as Google evaluates the impact on publisher traffic.
• Competitor responses, notably any acceleration of Microsoft’s or Amazon’s AI‑search features aimed at retaining users within their own ecosystems.

Google’s push to make AI Mode the default search experience underscores a broader industry shift toward keeping users inside a single, AI‑driven interface. Whether the redesign will sustain engagement without eroding the web’s referral traffic remains an open question.