Google's next Gemini model takes center stage at I/O

Google I/O 2026 kicks off today at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, with CEO Sundar Pichai and DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis leading the keynote starting at 1PM ET. The event will be livestreamed on YouTube and the Google I/O website, with The Verge providing live coverage starting at 10AM ET. This year's conference builds on last week's Android Show, where Google unveiled its new Googlebook laptop category and launched Gemini Intelligence, an on-device AI system enabling multi-step app automation, custom AI widget creation, and an upgraded Material 3 design refresh with intelligent autofill capabilities. The headline announcement is expected to be the next-generation Gemini model, which analysts predict will showcase massive improvements in deep reasoning, multimodality across text, audio and video, and significantly expanded context windows. Google is also expected to detail updates to its creative suites including Veo, an AI-video generator, and Lyria, a professional-grade music tool. The company has been working on Beam, a video-conferencing technology using specialized cameras to project users as life-like 3D avatars in real time. Android XR and smart glasses are also set to take center stage, with Google demonstrating Gemini-powered smart glasses built with partners including Warby Parker, Samsung, and Gentle Monster. Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Glasses, expected to be display-free like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, could make an appearance, though rumors suggest Samsung may save them for a July Galaxy Unpacked event. Additionally, Google is merging Android and ChromeOS into a unified platform, with the Alphabetical OS expected to be officially announced alongside the Googlebook lineup built by Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, designed to natively run Android apps, cloud-based Chrome apps, and desktop Gemini agents on a single lightweight substrate.