Google updates Gemini app to compete with ChatGPT and Claude at IO 2026

During Tuesday’s annual Google I/O event, Google unveiled a suite of updates for the Gemini app, introducing a “Daily Brief” feature, a revamped interface, access to the new Gemini Omni AI video model, and a personal AI agent named Gemini Spark.

These enhancements highlight Google’s strategy to transform the Gemini app into a comprehensive AI hub rather than a standalone chatbot, aiming to compete more effectively with rivals like ChatGPT and Claude.

Google describes the Daily Brief as a personalized morning digest that serves as your primary starting point each day. It aggregates data from your inbox, calendar, and key tasks, organizing them into a clear summary. The feature goes beyond simple summarization by prioritizing tasks and suggesting next steps, ensuring the most critical items are displayed first.

The Daily Brief is launching today for Google AI subscribers in the United States.

Image Credits:Google

The Gemini app already boasts significant reach, with over 900 million monthly users across more than 230 countries and 70 languages. However, Google aims to expand this user base without alienating its current customers.

Google has rebuilt the application from scratch. Users will now encounter a new design language called “Neural Expressive,” featuring fluid animations, vibrant colors, updated typography, and haptic feedback.

Image Credits:Sarah Perez/TechCrunch

Gemini’s responses are no longer presented as a dense block of text, which is common in most AI chatbots. Instead, key information is highlighted in bold at the top, with additional text and elements like images or timelines appearing as users scroll down.

Gemini Spark is described as a 24/7 personal AI agent designed to help users navigate their digital lives. It transforms Gemini from a passive assistant into an active partner that performs tasks on your behalf. As a cloud-based agent, Spark continues to operate in the background even when your phone is locked. With Gemini Spark integrated into the app, users can create custom workflows.

Spark is currently in testing, with Google planning to make it available to Google AI Ultra subscribers next week.

Image Credits:Sarah Perez/TechCrunch

The new AI video model, Gemini Omni, integrates Gemini with Google’s generative media models to produce outputs grounded in factual knowledge. For instance, a simple prompt like “claymation explainer of protein folding” can generate a consistent, high-quality video by uploading audio, images, and video, according to Google.

By adding access to a new video-generation model like Gemini Omni, Google is intensifying competition among major AI platforms in the race to lead multimodal content generation. The model is rolling out to Google Flow and YouTube Shorts for Google AI subscribers, reflecting the company’s broader push into multimodal content creation and AI-powered video tools.

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