Google's AI search evolution is accelerating at I/O 2026.

Google's AI search evolution is accelerating at I/O 2026.

At I/O 2026 Google announced it is pressing ahead with an overhaul of search driven by agentic AI, and said usage of its conversational “AI Mode” has surged to over 1 billion monthly users. The company told attendees that AI Mode’s user base has doubled every quarter, a growth rate that underpins the shift in how people interact with the search product and how Google measures engagement.

Google began testing AI Mode just over a year ago and formally committed to the approach at I/O 2025. The feature converts queries into a back-and-forth conversational flow: it asks follow — up questions and treats each follow — up as a distinct search. That behaviour changes the arithmetic of search volume and session length without requiring users to type discrete new queries.