Google Search is changing forever. Here's what that actually means.

Google said at I/O 2026 that Search will be rebuilt around Gemini, with AI tools handling queries, follow-ups, and broader context.

A new conversational search box will accept long prompts, images, files, videos, and tabs, pushing Search further toward an AI assistant model.

The change could reduce clicks to publisher sites, deepening concerns about falling referral traffic for media companies.

Publishers and SEO experts say the shift may reshape how people find information online and strengthen Google’s control over web discovery.