How to use Google's new AI agents to go beyond your standard searches

At the Google I/O 2026 keynote, the tech giant revealed a significant expansion of its Search capabilities, introducing new agentic features that enable users to create, customize, and manage multiple AI agents. These agents are designed to operate continuously in the background, 24/7, providing users with ongoing updates on topics of interest without the need for repetitive searches. Unlike traditional search tools that respond only when prompted, Google's information agents can synthesize information from multiple sources, explain why something matters, compare perspectives, and provide actionable insights.

This marks a substantial evolution of Google Alerts, the notification service launched in 2003, but with a more comprehensive and interactive approach. The new AI agents can be tailored to various interests, such as tracking stock market activity, flight prices, sports teams, live events, breaking news, housing or job market trends, and weather or traffic updates. Users can create an agent by opening AI Mode in Search and entering a prompt, such as 'Keep me updated on nearby movie tickets for 'The Mandalorian and Grogu.'' When relevant information becomes available, the Google app sends a push notification, and users can manage their active tracked topics in their AI Mode history.

Google plans to roll out these information agents this summer, initially available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S., with further expansion to additional markets later on. Alongside the introduction of these agents, Google also unveiled a major redesign of Search, featuring a reimagined 'intelligent search box' and an AI-powered query suggestion system that supports longer, more conversational queries.