Following a year of advancements in generative AI with models like Gemini and Veo, Google is now prioritizing the practical application of its technology across the Android ecosystem. At CES 2026, the company signaled a shift from demonstrating AI’s potential to delivering concrete benefits for users, focusing on what it terms “AI utilities.” This strategic move comes as the industry broadly recognizes the need to move beyond novelty and integrate AI into everyday tasks-from streamlining smartphone functions to enhancing in-vehicle experiences-and marks a critical phase in the evolution of artificial intelligence.
2025 proved to be a breakthrough year for Google’s Gemini, with the AI making significant strides in creative applications through models like the Veo 3 video generator and Nano Banana. Gemini also introduced agentic AI capabilities, allowing the system to independently conduct searches. The launch of Gemini 3 showcased Google’s most advanced large language model to date, prompting increased attention from competitors like OpenAI.
Now, Google aims to bring these advancements to a wider range of devices, including Android smartphones, Chromebooks, smart glasses, and televisions. The company’s primary goal is to concentrate on practical, everyday applications of AI – what Sameer Samat, President of the Android ecosystem at Google, calls “AI utilities.” This focus reflects a broader industry trend toward making AI less about abstract potential and more about tangible benefits for users.
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“AI utility is how I think about how the average consumer will experience this technology and say, ‘Wow, that’s really powerful,’” Samat told CNET in an interview at CES 2026. “It’s something that makes me really excited to have this product or something I want to switch to in order to have it.”
Google has already begun exploring practical AI applications. In 2024, the company introduced Circle to Search on Android, enabling users to circle objects in photos to trigger AI-powered visual analysis, Google searches, and additional information. Internal Google research, as reported by AcehGround, indicates that Android users experienced a 58% reduction in reported spam messages thanks to AI-enhanced spam prevention. More recently, Google added hands-free Gemini chat functionality to Google Maps, assisting users in finding parking or nearby restaurants.
The integration of AI extends beyond phones and computers. Google has been gradually incorporating Gemini into televisions, starting with viewing recommendations. According to information received by AcehGround, the company announced in January plans to expand AI integration on TVs with a feature called ‘Deep Dives,’ capable of creating custom multimedia presentations on any topic in under two minutes. Users will also be able to chat with their TVs like a chatbot and leverage AI-powered photo editing tools similar to those found in Google Photos. Users can even generate AI images and videos from scratch using Google’s popular models.
Google emphasized that these search and media capabilities aren’t solely intended to encourage AI image creation on TVs, but rather to meet user needs wherever they are. For example, users who display family photos as TV screensavers can now use AI-powered editing tools to enhance those images. The company aims to transform TV viewing from a passive activity into a more engaging experience.
Another key area of development is agentic AI – AI designed to handle tasks autonomously, without human supervision, such as ordering food or executing code. “We’re on the cusp of agents that can actually get real things done for us,” Samat stated. Building this technology beyond desktop and mobile applications is crucial. “Some of the biggest needs for this kind of functionality will come from other form factors, which may have smaller screens, no screens at all, or where they need to be hands-free,” Samat added. This includes software within vehicles, both autonomous and traditional, as well as smart glasses, which Google considers integral to the future of AI.
Google’s emphasis on utility reflects a growing trend and a shift toward the next phase of AI development. If early chatbots represented a nascent internet akin to AOL, then personalized, agentic AI tools represent Google’s vision for the future. AI is moving beyond novelty, and in 2026, both developers and users must focus on finding concrete and productive ways to integrate it into daily life. While enjoying tools like Nano Banana is valuable, users will also want their Android AI to simplify their routines.
“We think this technology can move people from AI curiosity to AI utility, and a feeling that the Android device is helpful, delightful, and satisfying,” Samat concluded.
