What Did Google Do This Week? [FREE ISSUE]
The week before Google I/O is here, and it's noisy.
EDITOR NOTE: WDGDTW is moving to Beehiiv soon. Subscribe now before the price increases.
GOOGLE HAS THREE C’S WEEK - COURTS, CODE, AND COMPETITORS
The week before Google I/O is rarely subtle, and this one was no exception. With the developer conference set to begin May 21, Google flooded the zone with strategic leaks, quiet releases, and pre-event positioning to shape expectations. Gemini is the headliner (naturally) with new tools for Android, deeper system integration, and expanded use cases across watches, cars, TVs, and XR devices already teased in official previews. Expect a strong narrative around Gemini as not just a model, but a platform; especially as Google leans into multi-agent workflows, coding agents, and AI-native user experiences.
Part of that shift is visible now. Google DeepMind announced AlphaEvolve, a Gemini-powered system that can autonomously design advanced algorithms. This is a serious escalation in the agent race—and it dovetails with Google’s recent AI patent spree, where the company has been filing aggressively around autonomous agents and generative systems. The goal at I/O won’t just be showcasing Gemini’s speed or reasoning—it’ll be proving it can run full workflows independently, from search to development to automation.
The company’s ad business is also getting an AI overhaul. YouTube is introducing a Gemini-powered feature that identifies moments of peak viewer engagement and targets ads accordingly. It’s a quiet but major shift: moving from behavioural targeting to moment-based insertion. If it works, it could increase ad revenue significantly without relying on traditional tracking—crucial as privacy regulation tightens.
Meanwhile, Gemini is poised to change the Google homepage itself. A new AI mode for Search is being tested that places AI-generated overviews at the top of results, pushing organic links further down and deepening the shift away from the old ten-blue-links model. All of which sets the stage for Gemini-powered search agents and continuous query chains, likely to be the core theme at I/O.
Google is prepping a UWB-based Find My Device revamp, complete with Moto Tag integration, Find My-style features, and a new “Find My Hub” brand, likely a Pixel-exclusive rollout. Android itself is getting big visual and functional upgrades with Material You 3 landing across devices, including Wear OS, with a more expressive and personalised UI. And Google revealed that RCS is now handling over 1 billion messages per day in the U.S.; a signal that its long fight against SMS fragmentation is finally gaining traction.
On the legal side, Google is facing over €12 billion in civil claims across Europe tied to past advertising practices and antitrust violations. That number is growing and includes suits from publishers, advertisers, and consumer groups. In parallel, Google just introduced new Android security tools to combat theft, scams, and remote hacking, while also rolling out an Advanced Protection Program for mobile—clearly aimed at bolstering user trust ahead of increased scrutiny.
One of a few Google setbacks came via Waymo. Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit issued a recall of over 1,200 vehicles following minor collisions linked to software misinterpretation of road geometry. A reminder that moonshots, while still alive, remain a few missteps away from becoming major liabilities for tech platforms.
SO WHAT?
I/O 2025 is Google’s attempt to reintroduce itself as an AI-native platform company, not just a search engine with add-ons. Gemini isn’t a product anymore, it’s the connective tissue across Android, Search, Cloud, and Ads. The company is signalling a full-stack, full-surface rethinking of user experience powered by autonomous agents, multimodal interaction, and continuous workflows. In short, Google wants to own the next interface paradigm and own more of the AI narrative.
Of course, there’s risk everywhere. AI-generated answers are already drawing fire from everyone from regulators to publishers. Autonomous ad systems are opening Google up to fresh privacy scrutiny. And even as it demos AI supremacy, it’s fending off multibillion-euro lawsuits in Europe and struggling with trust in self-driving vehicles. The next chapter of Google will hinge on whether it can push forward fast enough to reset expectations. Ideally without tripping over the regulatory tripwires it somewhat helped build.
Stay ahead with the full 'What Did ____ Do This Week?' ecosystem.
Choose from OpenAI, Amazon and the new Google version.