At I/O 2025, Google declared that traditional web search as we know it is over. In its place, the tech giant is rolling out a future powered by AI agents—digital assistants that don’t just guide users to links, but actively visit websites, summarize content, conduct research, and even complete tasks on their behalf.

The move represents Google’s boldest step yet in reshaping how people interact with the internet, promising efficiency and personalization, but also raising thorny questions about misinformation and the future of ad-supported content.

Key Points:

• Google introduced AI mode for all Search users in the U.S., enabling interaction with AI agents that read, summarize, and navigate the web.
• Premium users with “Ultra” access will get Project Mariner: an AI agent capable of completing up to 10 tasks simultaneously without user input.
• Deep Research agents, now more personalized and connected to Gmail and Drive, deliver detailed reports across multiple sources.
• Project Astra’s real-time, multimodal AI is being integrated further into Search and Gemini.
• Google is building infrastructure for an AI-centric web.
• The shift poses risks for traditional web publishing, as AI agents could divert traffic (and ad revenue) away from content creators.
• AI hallucinations remain a concern, with Google leaders acknowledging current limitations in reliability and consistency.

Key Quotes:

• “We couldn’t be more excited about this chapter of Google search where you can truly ask anything […] your simplest and hardest questions, your deepest research, your personalized shopping needs.” — Liz Reid, Google VP of Search
• “We believe AI will be the most powerful engine for discovery that the web has ever seen.” — Liz Reid
• “Human attention is the only truly finite resource.” — Google communications leader
• “You can easily, within a few minutes, find some obvious flaws with [AI chatbots]… For me, for something to be called AGI, it would need to be much more consistent across the board.” — Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind

Implications:

Google’s AI push marks a foundational shift in how we access information. Users may benefit from faster, more tailored web experiences, but the implications for publishers, advertisers, and information trust are significant.

As AI agents replace humans in visiting websites, ad revenue could plummet, undermining the ecosystem that generates original content.

Meanwhile, issues with hallucinations threaten user trust and factual accuracy. Google is pushing forward regardless—signaling that the age of the AI-powered web is not just coming, but is already here.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/21/googles-ai-agents-will-bring-you-the-web-now/