Google Prioritizes Practical AI Across Devices
Key Points
- Google brands its AI strategy as "AI utility," focusing on real‑world usefulness.
- Gemini models are being integrated into Android phones, Chromebooks, smart glasses, TVs and vehicles.
- Features like Circle to Search let users draw on photos to trigger visual AI searches.
- Hands‑free Gemini chats in Google Maps provide location‑based assistance.
- TVs now support AI‑driven photo editing, custom presentations and image/video generation.
- Agentic AI aims to complete tasks such as food ordering or code execution without user input.
- Executives say AI utility should make devices feel powerful and enjoyable to own.
Google is shifting its focus from flashy AI demos to real‑world usefulness, a strategy it calls "AI utility." By embedding its Gemini models into Android phones, Chromebooks, smart glasses, TVs and other hardware, the company aims to give consumers tools that feel powerful and helpful. New features include visual search with Circle to Search, hands‑free Gemini chats in Maps, AI‑driven photo editing on TVs, and agentic AI that can complete tasks without user supervision. Executives say the goal is to turn curiosity about AI into everyday productivity, especially on smaller or screen‑less form factors.
Google's Push for AI Utility
Google is moving beyond the novelty of generative AI toward what it calls "AI utility" – the idea that artificial intelligence should feel genuinely useful to everyday users. The company’s Gemini suite, which saw major breakthroughs in 2025, is now being integrated across a wide range of hardware, from Android smartphones and Chromebooks to smart glasses, televisions and vehicle software.
One of the first consumer‑focused tools is "Circle to Search" on Android, which lets users draw a circle around an object in a photo, triggering visual intelligence that extracts relevant information and launches a Google search. This feature demonstrates how visual AI can turn a simple gesture into instant answers.
Google also added hands‑free Gemini interactions to Google Maps, allowing users to ask the AI for nearby parking, restaurant recommendations or other location‑based help while keeping their eyes on the road. The same Gemini engine now powers AI‑enhanced spam prevention on Android, which the company reports reduces unwanted messages compared with rival platforms.
On larger screens, Google is extending Gemini’s capabilities to televisions. Users can now edit photos directly on the TV, generate custom multimedia presentations in minutes, or create AI‑generated images and videos using familiar Gemini models. These tools aim to make TV viewing more interactive rather than passive, letting families personalize slideshows or explore visual content together.
Beyond content creation, Google is developing agentic AI – autonomous agents that can perform tasks without direct supervision. Examples include ordering food delivery or running code. Executives stress that the most compelling use cases will appear on devices with smaller screens, no screens at all, or those that require hands‑free operation, such as smart glasses or in‑car systems.
Samet Samat, president of Android Ecosystem at Google, emphasizes that AI utility should make devices feel "really powerful" and either bring joy to ownership or motivate users to switch to a new product. By embedding Gemini across the ecosystem, Google hopes to turn AI curiosity into practical, everyday productivity for consumers.