Google I/O 2025: AI Upgrades, Premium Plans, and Smart Glasses Take Center Stage

At its annual I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California, Google unveiled an expansive roadmap to integrate artificial intelligence more deeply into its products and services, including a new premium AI subscription plan, upgraded AI search experiences, and a renewed push into smart glasses.

The tech giant announced the rollout of an “AI Mode” in Google Search for users across the U.S., enabling more conversational and complex queries to be answered with generative AI rather than traditional web links. Demonstrations showed the AI responding to real-world prompts using camera inputs, performing tasks like adding events to calendars or guiding users through product purchases, as reported by Reuters.

CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized Google’s vision of making AI both personal and proactive, while keeping affordability in mind. “Over and over, we've been able to deliver the best models at the most effective price point,” Pichai said during the keynote. The company also revealed that its Gemini AI assistant now boasts over 400 million monthly active users.

In a major subscription push, Google introduced a new “AI Ultra Plan” priced at $249.99 per month. This top-tier plan includes access to experimental tools like Project Mariner—a browser extension that automates keystrokes and clicks—and Deep Think, the most advanced version of its Gemini model, designed for high-level reasoning tasks. The package also offers 30 terabytes of Google Drive storage and an ad-free YouTube experience, making it one of the most robust AI subscription bundles currently on the market.

The pricing positions Google alongside other AI leaders—OpenAI and Anthropic—who have launched similar high-end offerings aimed at heavy users and enterprises. Google already offers a $19.99/month tier with expanded AI capabilities and claims more than 150 million subscribers across its broader suite of paid services.

The company also made headlines with its return to the smart glasses space, previewing new frames powered by Android XR software. In a live demo, a user wearing the glasses received real-time AI assistance while walking around the venue. Google is partnering with eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, and an XR headset co-developed with Samsung is set to launch later this year.

The announcements come amid growing pressure on Google’s search business, which has historically been the company’s cash cow. Earlier this month, Alphabet’s stock dropped sharply after a senior Apple executive testified that AI tools had led to a decline in Google searches on Safari for the first time. Some analysts now estimate that Google’s share of the search market could drop below 50% over the next five years, as per the Reuters report.

Still, Google maintains that AI is not cannibalizing search—but expanding it. “This feels very far from a zero-sum moment,” said Pichai. “The kinds of use cases we are serving in search is dramatically expanding because of AI.”

Google’s investment in AI continues to surge, with capital expenditures projected at $75 billion in 2025, up from $52.5 billion the previous year.

Among other updates, the company unveiled Project Astra, its universal AI agent capable of performing user tasks without repeated prompts. Google also introduced Veo 3, its latest generative AI model that produces realistic video and audio clips aimed at filmmakers and content creators.

With these announcements, Google signaled not just its readiness to compete in the AI race—but its intention to lead it.

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