5 stories about Google.
Google says schools using Classroom can switch AI tools on or off individually, but search is bundled with Gemini, so opting out of AI removes search too.
Why it matters: Education buyers must choose between AI features and losing core search access, which shapes how vendor AI bundling is negotiated.
A 50-task benchmark of games and web tasks shows top models pass only 36% of tasks under real-time latency, versus up to about 80% with a paused clock.
Why it matters: The gap between paused and real-time results suggests current agents are unreliable wherever response speed matters, such as buying tickets or bidding in auctions. Teams should not assume that strong offline benchmark scores carry over to live, latency-sensitive workflows.
Genie 4 is in research preview for trusted testers, with access for Google AI Ultra subscribers planned later.
Why it matters: Companies working on simulation, game content or synthetic training environments may gain a tool for generating interactive worlds from text. Access is limited for now, so near-term use is restricted to testing.
Google says AI Mode is its fastest-growing search segment in five years, though those queries currently earn less ad revenue.
Why it matters: Search is shifting from links to conversational answers. That changes where businesses must appear to be found and how ad budgets get allocated.
Google's Project Suncatcher prototype ran its Gemma 4 open model in orbit to generate a haiku, testing solar-powered computing in space.
Why it matters: Space-based computing is still at prototype stage, so most companies cannot count on it for near-term AI workloads.