Google is pitching an AI agent ecosystem to consumers who may not buy it

One of the most promising introductions at Google’s I/O developer conference on Tuesday was a new way for consumers to use the web: AI agents. Unfortunately, it was also the most confusing. Google took the wraps off information agents , a reinvention of the aging Google Alerts service, now infused with AI. These AI agents are designed to operate in the background, 24/7, helping users stay up to date on topics they’re interested in, like market trends, price tracking, or inclement weather warnings. Information agents Image Credits: Google Then there is Google Spark, a “personal” AI agent that can help you navigate your digital life by integrating with Google products, like Gmail, Google Docs and Google Workspace. The company says the assistant can handle everyday tasks like surfacing themes from newsletters, organizing your home inventory and keeping track of what needs restocking, or helping you plan and manage a group trip with friends. Or, as Google showed off in a very engineering-minded example, you could use it to organize a neighborhood block party — as if that would require any management beyond a group chat or some emails. Gemini Spark Image Credits: Google There’s also a name for how you track notifications from Spark: Android Halo . …