Rongchai Wang
Feb 04, 2026 17:36
Google’s January AI blitz introduces Personal Intelligence across Gemini, Chrome’s auto browse feature, and Universal Commerce Protocol for agentic shopping.
Google dropped its biggest AI product overhaul in months during January, rolling out what the company calls “Personal Intelligence” across its core apps while positioning Chrome as an autonomous task-completion tool through its new auto browse feature.
The updates, built on Gemini 3, transform how Google’s ecosystem handles user data and executes complex tasks. Personal Intelligence—now in beta for U.S. users—lets Gemini securely connect to Gmail, Google Photos, YouTube, and Search to deliver context-aware responses. It’s opt-in, with granular controls over which apps participate.
Chrome Becomes Your Digital Assistant
The headline feature is Chrome’s auto browse capability. Rather than just displaying information, Chrome can now handle multi-step tasks autonomously—booking travel, scheduling appointments, filling out forms. Google’s framing it as turning the browser from “a window to the web into a high-powered productivity partner.”
The browser also gained a persistent side panel keeping Google apps accessible and something called Nano Banana for on-page image transformation. Quirky naming aside, the underlying message is clear: Google wants Chrome doing work, not just showing it.
Gmail Gets Smarter, Free AI Tools Expand
Gmail users now get AI Overviews, Help me write, and personalized suggested replies at no cost. Paid subscribers (AI Ultra and Pro) unlock AI Overviews in Gmail search plus Proofread for advanced grammar and tone checks. Select testers are piloting AI Inbox—a filtered view surfacing priority messages automatically.
For developers, Agentic Vision in Gemini 3 Flash addresses a persistent problem: AI hallucinations from processing images in single snapshots. The new approach has models “explore” rather than just “look,” actively investigating details rather than guessing at blurry or small elements.
Retail Gets Agentic Commerce Protocol
At NRF 2026, CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)—an open standard enabling checkout directly within AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app. The protocol aims to support seamless shopping journeys where AI agents handle discovery through purchase.
Wing and Walmart also announced expanded drone delivery reaching over 40 million Americans, though that’s infrastructure rather than AI.
Education and Creative Tools
Partnerships with Khan Academy bring Gemini-powered literacy tools, while Oxford University gains NotebookLM access for all students and faculty. Free SAT and JEE Main prep through Princeton Review and Careers360 partnerships landed in the Gemini app.
On the creative side, Veo 3.1 updates added native vertical video output for YouTube Shorts and upscaling to 4K. Genie 3—Google’s AI world model for creating interactive environments—opened to AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S.
The January push represents Google’s most aggressive move yet toward proactive AI that anticipates needs rather than waiting for queries. Whether users embrace AI agents handling their shopping and scheduling—or find it intrusive—will determine if this becomes the new normal or a feature most people disable.
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