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Technology

Google’s Gemini surges to 950 mn monthly users

Google has delivered a strong statement in the global artificial intelligence race, with CEO Sundar Pichai announcing that Gemini now has 950 million monthly active users. The milestone, revealed during Alphabet’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call, underscores how rapidly Google’s AI chatbot has grown and positions it among the world’s most widely used AI platforms.

The announcement comes amid intense competition in generative AI, where companies including OpenAI, Meta and Anthropic are racing to attract users and launch more capable AI models. It also follows comments attributed to Meta’s Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, who reportedly questioned Gemini’s popularity. While Pichai did not respond directly, the latest user figures have become Google’s strongest answer to such criticism.

According to Pichai, Gemini’s daily active users have tripled over the past year, reflecting rising adoption among both consumers and businesses. He said Google’s continued investments in AI research, infrastructure and product integration have helped Gemini reach users at an unprecedented pace.

Unlike standalone AI chatbots, Gemini is deeply embedded across Google’s ecosystem. It powers AI features in Search, Gmail, Google Docs, Android, Chrome and Workspace, enabling users to draft emails, summarise documents, answer complex questions, generate code and complete everyday tasks more efficiently. This broad integration has played a key role in accelerating user adoption.

Google has also expanded Gemini’s presence in enterprise software through Google Cloud, where businesses are increasingly using the AI assistant to automate workflows, improve customer service, analyse data and assist software development. As more organisations embrace artificial intelligence, enterprise demand has become an important growth driver for Gemini.

Pichai said Google’s advantage lies in its ability to combine cutting-edge AI models with its own cloud infrastructure, custom-built AI chips and billions of existing users across its products. This “full-stack” strategy allows the company to roll out new AI capabilities at scale while continuously improving performance and reliability.

The strong momentum in AI was reflected in Alphabet’s latest financial results. The company reported robust second-quarter revenue growth, driven by continued strength in Search, Cloud and AI-powered services. Google Cloud emerged as one of the fastest-growing businesses, benefiting from rising enterprise demand for AI infrastructure and generative AI tools.

Gemini’s rapid growth also highlights how the AI landscape has evolved over the past two years. When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, many industry observers believed Google had fallen behind despite years of AI research. Since then, Google has accelerated development of Gemini, introduced more advanced AI models and integrated them across nearly every major product.

The competition, however, remains intense. OpenAI continues to expand ChatGPT’s capabilities, while Meta is investing billions of dollars to strengthen its AI ecosystem. Anthropic and several other AI companies are also introducing increasingly sophisticated models, making innovation and user engagement key battlegrounds.

Rather than focusing only on benchmark scores, technology companies are now measuring success through real-world adoption and everyday usage. In that context, reaching 950 million monthly active users marks a significant achievement for Google and demonstrates that Gemini has become a mainstream AI assistant used across work, education and personal productivity.

Industry experts believe the next phase of competition will depend not only on building smarter AI models but also on making them more useful, accessible and seamlessly integrated into people’s daily lives. Google’s strategy of embedding Gemini across its products appears to be paying off, helping millions of users interact with AI without needing a separate application.

With Gemini now closing in on the one-billion-user milestone, Google has strengthened its position in the global AI race. For Sundar Pichai, the latest figures serve as clear evidence that the company’s long-term investments in artificial intelligence are translating into rapid user growth and expanding influence in one of the technology industry’s most competitive sectors.

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1 Minute-Read

Alphabet profit rises to $28.2 bn in strong quarter

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter results, driven by rapid growth in its cloud business and continued momentum in artificial intelligence (AI).

Revenue rose 14% year-on-year to $103.3 billion, while net profit climbed to $28.2 billion, reflecting healthy demand across its core businesses. Google Cloud posted impressive growth as enterprises increased spending on AI-powered services and cloud infrastructure.

The strong performance also boosted investor confidence in AI-related companies, including Adobe and Broadcom. Alphabet said it will increase capital spending to expand AI infrastructure, signalling its commitment to meeting rising global demand for advanced AI tools and cloud computing services. For more quick updates on corporate earnings and business developments, explore our 1-Minute Read section.

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Uncategorized

Google launches three new Gemini AI models

Google has expanded its Gemini family of artificial intelligence models with the launch of three new versions aimed at developers, businesses and cybersecurity professionals. The company introduced Gemini 3.6 Flash, Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber, while also announcing that the release of the much-awaited Gemini 3.5 Pro has been delayed for additional improvements.

The announcement highlights Google’s strategy of building AI models tailored for different user needs instead of offering a single solution for every task. The latest models focus on faster performance, lower operating costs and specialised capabilities that can support businesses deploying AI across multiple sectors.

Leading the new lineup is Gemini 3.6 Flash, Google’s latest high-performance AI model. According to the company, it offers better reasoning, coding, instruction-following and multimodal capabilities while maintaining fast response times. The model is designed to automatically adjust its reasoning depending on the complexity of a prompt, allowing it to respond quickly to simple requests while using additional computing power for more challenging tasks.

Google says this adaptive approach helps developers achieve higher-quality results without significantly increasing costs or slowing down applications. The model is expected to be useful for AI assistants, software development, content creation and enterprise automation.

The company has also launched Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite, which it describes as its most affordable AI model so far. Built for organisations handling large volumes of AI requests, Flash Lite is designed to deliver reliable performance at lower cost.

The model is suitable for everyday business applications such as document summarisation, customer support, language translation, data classification and content generation. By reducing operating expenses, Google hopes the model will appeal to startups and enterprises looking to expand AI adoption without increasing infrastructure costs.

A major addition to the Gemini family is Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber, a model developed specifically for cybersecurity. Unlike general-purpose AI systems, Flash Cyber has been trained using threat intelligence, vulnerability databases and security research.

The model can assist security teams in analysing malware, identifying vulnerabilities, investigating cyber threats and supporting incident response. Google believes specialised AI will become increasingly important as cyberattacks grow more sophisticated and organisations face greater pressure to strengthen digital security.

The launch reflects growing demand for AI systems that can perform specialised tasks instead of relying only on broad language capabilities. Enterprises are increasingly seeking AI models designed for coding, security, customer service and workflow automation.

While introducing the new Flash models, Google also confirmed that Gemini 3.5 Pro will not be released as originally planned. The company said it requires additional testing to improve reliability and overall performance before making the model publicly available.

Although Google did not announce a revised release date, it said the delay would help ensure a better experience for developers and enterprise customers. The decision comes as AI companies face increasing expectations around model quality, safety and accuracy.

The newly launched models are available through Google AI Studio, the Gemini API and Vertex AI, allowing developers and businesses to integrate them into their applications immediately. This gives organisations access to AI tools for coding, automation, customer engagement, cybersecurity and business operations.

The expansion also reflects the intense competition in the global AI industry, where companies are racing to introduce faster and more capable models. Instead of focusing only on larger AI systems, firms are increasingly developing specialised models that offer better performance for specific business needs.

Google said the new Gemini Flash models are designed to provide a balance between speed, affordability and accuracy, enabling developers to build AI-powered products more efficiently. The company expects the latest releases to support wider AI adoption across industries ranging from technology and finance to healthcare, education and cybersecurity.

With three new Gemini models now available and the Pro version still under development, Google is continuing to broaden its AI ecosystem while focusing on practical applications for developers and enterprise customers.

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Technology

Google changes Play Store rules

Google is set to introduce one of the biggest changes to the Android app ecosystem by allowing third-party app stores to be listed on the Google Play Store from July 22. The move follows a US court ruling in Google’s antitrust case with Epic Games, which accused the tech giant of restricting competition in Android app distribution.

With the new policy, developers of alternative app stores will be able to offer their marketplaces directly through Google Play. This means Android users will have an easier way to discover and install rival app stores without relying on sideloading, a process that often requires downloading apps from external websites and changing device settings.

The change is part of a court order aimed at increasing competition in the Android ecosystem. Although Google is appealing the ruling, it has decided not to seek an emergency stay, allowing the new rules to take effect while the legal process continues.

Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, welcomed the move, saying it gives developers more freedom and provides users with greater choice over where they download apps. The company has argued that Google’s control over app distribution and in-app payments has limited competition and increased costs for developers.

Google, however, has expressed concerns that allowing rival app stores inside Google Play could expose users to greater security and privacy risks. The company says its Play Store protections help prevent malware, scams and harmful apps, and it plans to continue investing in security measures even after the policy change.

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Leaders

DeepMind chief urges global standards for Frontier AI

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has called for the creation of a US-led international body to develop common standards for frontier artificial intelligence, saying global cooperation is essential as AI systems become increasingly powerful.

Speaking at a technology event in Washington, Hassabis said advanced AI is progressing at an extraordinary pace and requires coordinated oversight to ensure it is developed safely and responsibly. He argued that countries should work together instead of creating fragmented regulations that could slow innovation or leave safety gaps.

According to Hassabis, the proposed organisation could play a role similar to international scientific bodies by bringing together governments, researchers and technology companies to establish shared guidelines for developing cutting-edge AI models. He believes common standards would help manage risks while allowing innovation to continue.

His comments come as governments around the world are racing to introduce AI regulations amid rapid advances in generative AI. While many countries have announced national policies, experts have increasingly called for greater international coordination because AI technologies can easily cross borders.

Hassabis also stressed that frontier AI systems have enormous potential to improve healthcare, scientific research, education and productivity. However, he warned that the same technologies could create serious risks if developed without proper safeguards, transparency and accountability.

The DeepMind chief said the United States is well placed to lead such an initiative because of its strong research ecosystem and the presence of many of the world’s leading AI companies. At the same time, he emphasised that any standards body should involve broad international participation to ensure global acceptance.

His remarks reflect growing debate within the technology industry over how best to govern increasingly capable AI models. Companies, policymakers and researchers continue to discuss issues such as safety testing, responsible deployment, transparency and security as AI adoption accelerates.

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Technology

Google launches Gemini Omni, Nano Banana

Google has expanded its artificial intelligence portfolio with the launch of Gemini Omni and Nano Banana 2 Lite, two new AI models designed to make conversations more natural and image creation significantly faster.

The company says Gemini Omni is built to handle voice, video and visual inputs in real time, allowing users to interact with AI more smoothly. The model can understand multiple forms of information simultaneously, enabling quicker and more human-like responses during conversations.

The second launch, Nano Banana 2 Lite, is a lightweight AI model focused on rapid image generation. Google says it can create and edit images from simple text prompts within seconds while using fewer computing resources. The model is intended for developers, businesses and creators looking for fast, high-quality visual content without the need for powerful hardware.

By introducing the new models, Google aims to make AI more accessible across a wide range of applications. From digital assistants and creative tools to educational platforms and business software, the technology is expected to improve productivity and user experience.

Google’s latest offerings place equal emphasis on performance and ease of use, ensuring that AI tools can run efficiently while delivering advanced capabilities.

Developers will be able to integrate both models into applications through Google’s AI ecosystem, opening new possibilities for conversational assistants, image editing, content creation and customer support.

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Technology

Google relaxes Play Store billing

Google is set to roll out one of the biggest changes to its Play Store business model in recent years, giving developers more freedom to choose how payments are processed on Android apps.

The company has expanded its Play Billing Choice programme, allowing eligible app developers to offer alternative payment systems alongside Google’s own billing service. The updated policy takes effect next week and is expected to reduce the fees developers pay for transactions made through external payment providers.

For years, developers have argued that mandatory use of Google’s billing system increased costs and restricted competition. The latest changes are designed to address some of those concerns while still keeping Google Play Billing available as an option for users.

Under the revised programme, developers using alternative payment systems will receive fee reductions compared to standard Play Store commissions. Google says the lower fees reflect the fact that some payment-related services will be handled by third-party providers instead of the company itself.

The policy shift comes amid increasing scrutiny from regulators worldwide. Governments and competition watchdogs have pushed major app store operators to provide more choice and reduce barriers for developers. In response, both Google and other technology giants have gradually adjusted their marketplace rules.

Developers are expected to benefit from greater flexibility and potentially higher earnings. Companies offering subscription services, streaming platforms and digital content could see lower operating costs, allowing them to invest more in product development and customer acquisition.

Google has stressed that security, transparency and consumer protection will remain central to the Play Store experience. Users will continue to see clear payment information regardless of which billing option they choose.

As the new rules come into effect, developers will be watching closely to assess whether lower fees and additional payment choices translate into meaningful business benefits. For the broader app ecosystem, the changes represent another chapter in the ongoing debate over platform control, competition and digital marketplace fairness.

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Technology

Gemini powers Google’s new home speaker

Google is making a fresh push into the smart home market with a new Google Home speaker powered by its Gemini artificial intelligence platform, betting that advanced AI can reignite interest in smart speakers.

The device marks Google’s first major smart speaker launch in nearly six years and represents a shift away from traditional voice assistants. Instead of responding only to simple commands, the new speaker is designed to hold more natural conversations, understand context and handle multiple requests in a single interaction.

Powered by Gemini for Home, the speaker allows users to speak in a more conversational manner. Users can ask follow-up questions, control multiple smart home devices at once and receive more detailed responses without repeating commands.

Google says the speaker has been built specifically for AI-first experiences. It features improved voice recognition, better noise handling and local AI processing to make interactions faster and more reliable. The device also acts as a hub for connected smart home products and supports industry standards such as Matter and Thread.

The company hopes the product will help it compete more effectively with Amazon’s Echo range and Apple’s growing smart home ecosystem. Industry experts believe the integration of generative AI could give smart speakers a new purpose after years of limited innovation in the category.

The speaker is expected to be available from June 25 and comes with access to premium Gemini features for early buyers. Google has reportedly fixed thousands of software issues during testing to improve the user experience before launch.

With AI becoming central to consumer technology, Google is positioning Gemini as the future of home assistance, transforming smart speakers from simple voice-controlled gadgets into more capable digital companions.

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Technology

Google signs $920 mn-a-month AI deal with SpaceX

Google has signed a major cloud computing agreement with SpaceX, committing to pay about $920 million every month for AI computing capacity in one of the largest technology infrastructure deals announced this year. The agreement was disclosed in regulatory filings ahead of SpaceX’s planned stock market debut.

Under the deal, Google will gain access to approximately 110,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs), along with related computing infrastructure such as CPUs, memory, and networking resources. The contract is scheduled to run from October 2026 through June 2029, with a lower-priced ramp-up period before full capacity becomes available.

The computing power will help Google meet growing demand for its AI products and services, including its Gemini Enterprise platform. As companies race to develop and deploy advanced artificial intelligence systems, access to large-scale computing resources has become a critical competitive advantage.

The agreement also includes performance guarantees. SpaceX must deliver the promised GPU capacity by the end of September 2026. If those commitments are not met, Google will have the option to terminate the contract after a short grace period. Beginning in 2027, either company can end the agreement by providing 90 days’ notice.

The deal further strengthens SpaceX’s growing presence in the AI infrastructure market. Earlier this year, the company secured another large computing agreement with AI startup Anthropic. Together, the contracts are expected to generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue and create a significant new business line beyond SpaceX’s traditional space and satellite operations.

The announcement comes just days before SpaceX’s highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO). Investors are closely watching the company’s efforts to expand beyond rockets and satellite services into AI computing, a sector experiencing rapid growth as demand for advanced AI models continues to rise worldwide.

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Technology

Google brings Search profiles to boost creator visibility

Google has launched a new feature called Search Profiles, giving content creators and publishers a dedicated space to showcase their work directly in Google Search. The initiative aims to help users discover creators more easily while allowing creators to highlight content from multiple platforms in one place.

The new profiles act as a digital hub where eligible creators can display links to their websites, social media accounts, videos, articles and other online content. When users search for a creator’s name, they can access a profile that presents a consolidated view of the creator’s online presence.

Google said the feature is designed to improve content discovery and help creators reach wider audiences. By bringing content together under a single profile, users can find verified information and explore a creator’s work without having to search across multiple websites.

The rollout is currently targeted at creators and publishers with established online audiences. Reports suggest that eligibility may require creators to have at least 100,000 followers on supported platforms. Google is expected to expand access gradually as the feature develops.

The launch comes as the creator economy continues to grow rapidly worldwide. Digital creators are increasingly using multiple platforms to engage audiences, making it challenging for followers to keep track of all their content. Search Profiles seeks to address this issue by creating a central and easily accessible online identity.

Industry observers believe the feature could help creators strengthen their personal brands and improve audience engagement. Publishers may also benefit through increased visibility and traffic to their original content.

Google has been introducing several tools aimed at supporting creators, businesses and publishers as competition for online attention intensifies. Search Profiles represents another step in making search results more useful and personalized for users.

The company says the feature will continue to evolve based on user feedback and creator participation. As more creators join the platform, Search Profiles could become an important tool for content discovery, helping audiences connect with creators and publishers more efficiently across the web.

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